LGO raps council for failing to inform homeless persons of legal rights

A city council has been criticised for failing to give reasons why it decided to close a woman's homelessness application and failing to tell her that she had the right to appeal to the county court on a point of law.

Kingston upon Hull City Council has agreed to review its practices following an investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman.

The case involved an application to the council by a woman for help after she became homeless. However, she said the property offered by the council was unsuitable.

Hull wrote to the woman to explain that her rejection of the property meant she would be placed in a lower priority banding for properties. It closed her homelessness application.

The LGO’s investigation concluded that the local authority had not been at fault in its explanation of what would happen to the woman if she rejected the property.

However, it found that she should have been given reasons for the decision and details of her right to appeal.

The Ombudsman said Hull had now agreed to:

• provide the woman with a new decision on her homelessness review;
• give her details of how she can appeal the decision to the county court;
• apologise to the woman and pay her £200 to recognise the injustice caused by its failings; and
• issue fresh decision letters to three other people that a check of the council’s records revealed had been similarly affected by the error. The letter will advise them of their rights.

Hull has also committed to carrying out a full review of its procedures and has reviewed its standard template letters.

The LGO said the repeated failure to inform homeless persons of their rights was the reason behind the issuing of a public interest report.

Hull has now concluded that the first offer of accommodation to the complainant was unsuitable and will make her a fresh offer.