Ealing Council has agreed to pay £1,400 to a vulnerable homeless man after failing to provide sufficient housing support, following a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The man, referred to as Mr X, had been living in an overcrowded one-bedroom flat with his partner, a young child with medical conditions and behavioural issues, and another relative. Mr X also suffered from medical conditions affecting his mobility.
Timeline of Events
Mr X first sought assistance by applying to the council’s housing register in September 2022. Over the next 18 months, the council engaged with him about his housing options, including asking if he would explore the private rented sector. The situation escalated in May 2024 when Mr X’s representative informed the council he faced eviction after being served a Section 21 ‘no-fault’ notice. His representative stressed that the current property was unsuitable due to his medical conditions and requested emergency accommodation. The council then opened a homelessness application and sought further medical information. By late June 2024, the council concluded that Mr X was “threatened with homelessness” but not yet homeless.
Ombudsman's Findings
The Ombudsman noted that the council’s critical errors began in July 2024, when it wrongly concluded it did not owe Mr X a duty of care. It then sent another decision stating that Mr X was not in priority need, at the same time he received a Personalised Housing Plan (PHP) outlining steps he should take. The Ombudsman pointed out that concluding Mr X was not owed duty while issuing a PHP was contradictory. Later in July 2024, an occupational therapist assessment was submitted to the council, explicitly stating Mr X needed a ground-floor property due to a condition affecting his walking.
After the representative complained about “the council’s handling of the homelessness application,” the council admitted fault in October 2024, stating it “had missed this information and should have assessed you under the relief duty” and conceded it “was not reasonable to say you were not in priority need.” In December 2024, a medical officer formally advised that “Mr X’s property was not suitable for his medical needs.” On December 27, 2024, Ealing Council wrote to Mr X “to accept it owed him the relief duty.” Despite this, the council still did not offer accommodation. It was not until mid-March 2025 that the council accepted it owed Mr X the main housing duty and subsequently offered him a suitable alternative property – he moved in in late March 2025, 18 months after he applied to join the housing register.
Impact and Compensation
The Ombudsman found that the delay in accepting the relief duty and in making a main duty decision meant Mr X was in unsuitable accommodation for around six months longer than he should have been, causing him “distress and frustration.” The council agreed to issue Mr X an apology and pay him £1,400. Within two months of publication, the council agreed to “provide guidance to relevant officers” to ensure they properly “identify whether to end the prevention duty after 56 days,” correctly “notify applicants of their decision,” and “ensure interim accommodation duties are met upon receipt of additional information which may affect an applicant’s homelessness status and priority need.”
An Ealing Council spokesperson said: “We accept the Ombudsman’s findings in this case and have agreed to apologise to the resident for the delays and confusion we caused. We will make a payment in recognition of the impact this had on the individual, including the time spent in unsuitable accommodation and the issues with communication around appeal rights. We take the Ombudsman’s finds seriously and are already carrying out a number of improvements to our service. These include strengthening guidance to staff to ensure clear and timely decisions are made, applicants are properly notified about decisions on their homelessness status, including their right to challenge those decisions, and referrals to medical officers are made promptly when new information is received. We are continuing to improve our homelessness services to ensure residents receive timely decisions, clear communication and appropriate support at what is often a very difficult time in their lives.”
