The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has ordered Hackney Council to pay a woman £150 after delays in completing her medical assessment for social housing caused her 'anxiety, uncertainty and distress'. The woman, known only as Ms X, waited over a year for the process to conclude, with the council taking four months to send assessment forms and another five months to inform her of the outcome after the decision was made.
Background of the complaint
In January 2025, Ms X was on the council's housing register, one of over 8,500 households. After unsuccessful bids, she requested a medical assessment to increase her priority. The council took four months to provide the forms. During this time, she called for an update and was met with a 'rude and unhelpful' officer, prompting a formal complaint. The council upheld the complaint, stating it had spoken to the officer and offered additional training, but cited delays and backlogs.
Timeline of events
Ms X received her assessment form on May 27 and returned it three weeks later. In July, the council conducted a home visit, and in August a medical assessor concluded that moving would alleviate her situation. The assessor sent the verdict to a housing register officer on August 21, but the council did not inform Ms X until January 2026. The council acknowledged that normally a medical assessment takes about a month after receiving documents, but in this case, the entire process took a year. However, the Ombudsman noted the assessment did not change her priority, so the delay did not affect her housing bids.
Council's response and actions
The Ombudsman urged the council to apologise and provide evidence of actions to prevent future delays. A Hackney Council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: 'No one should have to wait this long for a decision about their housing, and we are sorry for the anxiety and uncertainty this has caused. We fully accept the Ombudsman's findings. In this case, our handling fell short of the standards our residents should expect from us. This should not have happened. We have apologised to the resident and made the payment recommended by the Ombudsman. We are reviewing our processes and taking steps to improve the timeliness of medical assessments and our communication with residents.'
