Formal Investigations By Housing Ombudsman Up By 65%

 Formal investigations by the Housing Ombudsman have risen by 65% compared with last year, while enquiries and complaints to the service have surged by 139 per cent in the last year, the body has revealed. The figures were published as the ombudsman launched a consultation on its three-year corporate plan from 2022 to 2025, in which it sets out how it will tackle an “unprecedented increase” in casework and to “reinforce the importance” of complaint-handling in the social housing sector. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/formal-investigations-by-housing-ombudsman-up-by-65-72864?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

Complaints To Housing Ombudsman Rise By 21%

Complaints and enquiries to the Housing Ombudsman increased 21% in the first three months of 2020/21, having already risen sharply last year. The complaints arbitration service revealed that it received 7,276 enquiries and complaints over the period, up from 6,010 in the previous three months. The number is also 230% higher than for between April and June 2020 – although that quarter saw a 41% drop compared with the previous year amid the first coronavirus lockdown. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/complaints-to-housing-ombudsman-rise-by-21-72385?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60 

Ombudsman Investigating Five Social Landlords Over Failure To Deal With Complaints

The Housing Ombudsman has found five social landlords that are in breach of its new complaint-handling code, with the watchdog currently investigating the providers. In a new quarterly report, the ombudsman revealed that 23 complaint-handling failure orders had been issued between April and June. However, while in 17 of these cases, the landlords complied, there were six cases of non-compliance by five landlords. Among those that were found to be non-compliant were two councils, Greenwich Council and Lambeth Council, and three housing associations, A2Dominion, Housing for Women and Abri. Read the report on the Housing Ombudsman website.

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Complaint-handling-failure-orders-April-to-June-2021.pdf 

Housing Ombudsman Launches 600-Person Resident Panel

The Housing Ombudsman has recruited 600 individuals to serve on its new resident panel following significant interest from participants. The ombudsman said it had initially intended to have 100 members but the level of interest was so high that the panel has been expanded to 600 people. Members will advise the complaints arbitration service on how it works. There will be two full meetings each year which will focus on key areas of work, such as the ombudsman’s corporate plan and business plan. The panel membership represents all nine regions of England, spans ages from 16 to over 65 and has a strong social housing demographic split, the ombudsman said. Read more on the Housing Ombudsman website.

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/2021/04/08/new-resident-panel-appointed/

Housing Ombudsman To Set Up New Resident Panel

The Housing Ombudsman is recruiting for a new resident panel to advise the complaints arbitration service on how it approaches its work. Around 100 residents will be invited to join the panel, initially on a virtual basis. Panel members will be selected to reflect the different types, sizes and locations of the 2,500 landlords in the ombudsman’s scheme. It is hoped that the exercise will provide the ombudsman with greater input from tenants as it develops future plans for the service. Read full details on the Housing Ombudsman website.

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/2021/02/03/housing-ombudsman-creates-new-panel-for-a-stronger-resident-voice/

Ombudsman Publishes Landlord Performance Data

Performance reports for 2019/20 have been released on the ombudsman’s website for all members of the scheme, showing the categories of complaints received, decision outcomes, the types of order issued and timeliness in complying with the orders. The dispute resolution service said the move will help landlords to improve their services and provide tenants with more insight. There is no accompanying league table or ranking system, but the reports include comparisons with the average performance of similar landlords by type and size.  You can search for individual landlord performance on the Housing Ombudsman’s website.

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/landlords/ 

Regulator Sets Out Information For Tenants On How To Complain

The Regulator for Social Housing (RSH) has published a guide for tenants of social housing on current arrangements for how to complain to the RSH about a registered provider of social housing and what the RSH does when a complaint is received. The information contains details of:

1.       The RSH's role and objectives

2.       The roles of the RSH and the Housing Ombudsman

3.       How tenants can complain to the RSH and how the RSH handles complaints

 Read the guide on the RSH website.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/information-for-tenants

Number Of Complaints To Housing Ombudsman Rises By 12%

In 2018/19, the ombudsman received 7,623 complaints, up 12% from 6,806 the year previously, according to its annual report for the year. Of the 2,214 cases the ombudsman issued decisions on in 2018/19, 814 (37%) were determined to involve ‘no maladministration’, meaning no mistake had been made by the landlord. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/number-of-complaints-to-housing-ombudsman-rises-by-12-62436?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

Complaints To Housing Ombudsman Up 16%

Complaints to the Housing Ombudsman rose 16% in the past year, its annual report shows. The body received 6,806 complaints in 2017/18, up from 5,870 the previous year. In 2015/16, 5,802 complaints were submitted.  Repairs were the biggest grounds for complaints, making up 37% of the total. Tenants’ behaviour was the second most common cause at 11%. The number of complaints which were formally investigated by the ombudsman after completing the landlords complaints procedure rose 7%. Nearly four in five (79%) of complaints were closed without the need for formal investigation. Read more on the Housing Ombudsman website.

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/2018/07/06/annual-report-2017-18-published/

MPs Back Plan For Ombudsman To Resolve New Homes Disputes

The government is under pressure to set up an independent ombudsman with the power to order housebuilders to pay out up to £50,000 or even reverse a sale, following reports of new-home buyers lumbered with defective properties. A group of MPs and peers has called on the government to make it mandatory for housebuilders to belong to the proposed scheme, which would be free for consumers and offer a quick resolution to disputes. The scheme would be funded by a levy on housebuilders, with larger ones such as Berkeley Group, Persimmon, Barratt, Galliford Try, Redrow and Bovis Homes, paying more than small and medium-sized firms. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2018/jun/30/mps-call-ombudsman-scheme-resolve-issues-new-homes-buyers

Javid Consults On Single Housing Ombudsman To Replace ‘Broken’ System

A new Housing Ombudsman for private and social sector housing could be launched under government proposals out for consultation. Javid has previously expressed his frustration with the fragmented system, which currently includes four different complaints bodies. The proposals will be subject to an eight-week consultation, with the government seeking views from tenants, landlords, homeowners and existing ombudsmen. Download the consultation from the GovUK website.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-consumer-redress-in-housing

Ombudsman Abandons 'Broken' Housing Market

One of several organisations that resolves disputes in the property market has announced it is going to withdraw from the sector. Ombudsman Services said it would no longer offer "a broken solution to a broken market". It is one of at least four services that offers redress in arguments between property agents - including estate agents - and individuals. It said it would complete its withdrawal by 6 August 2018. Other services operating in the housing market include The Property Ombudsman, The Property Redress Scheme and the Housing Ombudsman. Read more on the BBC website.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-42949800

Tenant Complaints Rise

Official figures from the Housing Ombudsman showed it received 15,112 complaints and new enquiries, and closed 15,877. Although 81% of cases received being closed without the need for a formal investigation, the annual report revealed an 18% increase in cases that went forward to formal investigation, which are the most complex and difficult to resolve. The Housing Ombudsman’s Annual Report and Accounts for 2016-17, shows continuous improvement in the service with increased productivity and high levels of customer satisfaction. Download the report from the Housing Ombudsman website.

Complaints About Social Landlords Ease Off

The number of complaints and enquiries about social landlords received by the Housing Ombudsman Service has levelled off following a huge increase over the last few years. The ombudsman’s annual report and accounts show the ombudsman received 15,984 complaints and enquiries in 2015/16, a slight decrease on the 16,337 received the previous year. The figure appears to signal an end to a recent trend of spiralling complaints and enquiries, which surged 66% in two years between 2012/13 and 2014/15. This rise was fuelled by an increase in the ombudsman’s role to cover an extra 2.1m council tenants in 2013, and a scaling back of the English social housing regulator’s consumer role in 2012. Read more on Inside Housing.

RTB Extension Not Backed By Powers To Force Sale Of Homes

Housing associations cannot be compelled by regulators to sell their homes under the Government’s implementation of its Right To Buy extension, the housing minister has confirmed. Brandon Lewis told MPs that the voluntary deal would not initially be backed by new regulatory powers to force social landlords to give away their stock at large discounts.  The confirmation means that housing associations who have raised concerns about the policy’s impact on their finances and ability to build homes may be able to resist taking part of the sell-off. Mr Lewis said that though new legislation meant housing associations had a general duty to “promote home ownership” the Housing Ombudsman would not, at least initially, be able to force them to sell a home. Read more on the Independent website.

Ombudsman Struggles To Cope With Complaints Surge

The Housing Ombudsman has warned it may not be able to manage its casework following a surge in enquiries and complaints about social landlords over the last two years. The ombudsman revealed in its annual report that it responded to 16,337 complaints and enquiries in 2014/15. This is up from 12,782 the previous year and represents a 66% increase over two years.  The number of complaints about social landlords increased 10% year-on-year to 6,737. Of these, a total of 1,130 cases entered the Ombudsman’s formal remit to deal with a 31% increase on the previous year. The increase has led to a ‘key risk’ that the service will be unable to cope, the ombudsman warned. Download the report from the Ombudsman’s website.

New Housing Ombudsman

Denise Fowler has been appointed as the new Housing Ombudsman by Eric Pickles. She takes up her appointment on 11 March and will be responsible for the independent complaint resolution service between tenants and landlords, which covers all social housing and landlords registered from the private sector. Fowler has worked as a government lawyer since 2002 at the DCLG, the DWP and the Department of Health. She is currently Deputy Legal Director, Head of Planning Law Reform at DCLG. She has previously worked as a housing adviser, a housing lawyer, and partner in private practice and a member of the senior management team of the Housing Ombudsman between 2000 and 2002. Read more on the Housing Excellence website.

Housing Ombudsman Candidate Backed By CLG Committee

The communities and local government committee has endorsed the appointment of Denise Fowler as the new housing ombudsman. Following a pre-appointment hearing with Ms Fowler, the committee backed the preferred candidate. On the basis of the evidence provided at the hearing, the Committee concluded that Ms Fowler is a very suitable candidate for the post. In its Report the Committee, however, made its endorsement dependent on Ms Fowler resigning from the Civil Service.  Read more on the Parliament website.

Housing: Complaints – Parliamentary Written Answer

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints have been received by the Housing Ombudsman service in the latest year for which figures are available?

Kris Hopkins: In 2012-13, the Independent Housing Ombudsman received 3,657 inquiries and 6,391 formal complaints. In that year, 543 complaints resulted in a determination decision following a formal intervention. I would note that, as of March 2013, the Ombudsman's remit covered 2,123 landlords, representing 2.9 million housing units. Source: Independent Housing Ombudsman Ltd Annual report and Financial Statements 2012-13.

Councils to Pay for Ombudsman Service

Following a consultation, councils will pay fees to the Housing Ombudsman from next month, the CLG has confirmed. The change will bring councils into line with housing associations, which already pay fees for the service. It follows a consultation in which housing associations ‘unanimously’ supported the move, which was opposed by the Local Government Association.  Download the consultation response from the GovUK website.