Increase In Complaints About Allocations

Complaints and enquiries about councils’ housing allocations policies have increased 13% in a year, prompting concern from a local government watchdog.  The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has revealed it received 978 complaints and enquiries about housing allocations in 2014/15, a 13% increase on the previous year. This was made up of 533 enquiries and 445 complaints. The ombudsman investigated 245 cases further and found fault in 42% of these cases. The LGO said that “a significant proportion” of the complaints are from people who have been denied access to the housing register due to changes in qualification requirements, although it was not able to provide figures. It said councils should ensure they don’t disadvantage vulnerable groups. Download the report from the LGO website.