The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Mr X’s temporary accommodation. This is because Mr X did not bring his complaint to us within twelve months of becoming aware of the issue.
The complaint
Mr X complains the Council has housed him and his family in unsuitable temporary accommodation for too long and has failed to properly investigate his complaint. Mr X said the Council’s actions have caused him frustration.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Mr X complained to the Council in February 2024 about his temporary accommodation. The Council responded to his complaint two weeks later and did not uphold the complaint.
Mr X was unhappy with the Council’s response but did not request for his complaint to be investigated at stage two until more than a year later. The Council rejected his complaint as it said it was out of time.
We also will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about his temporary accommodation. This is because he should have brought it to us within twelve months of becoming aware of the issue. We expect people to pursue their complaint through all stages of a council’s complaints process before we consider it and Mr X did not do this in time.
It is open to Mr X to make a new complaint if he has current or ongoing housing issues. If the new complaint goes through both stages of the Council’s complaints procedure and Mr X is still not satisfied with the Council’s response, he can ask the Ombudsman to investigate by raising a new complaint with us.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because he did not bring the complaint to us within twelve months and it is now late.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman