Hounslow Council apologizes for leaving disabled person homeless

Hounslow Council has apologized after administrative errors left a disabled individual and another person homeless for over a year. The pair were forced to sofa surf despite contacting the local authority regarding their living conditions as early as February 2023.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) found that the council failed to provide legally required accommodation and lost track of the individuals' file. The issues were compounded when the council failed to transfer the homelessness application to a new IT system following the departure of a caseworker.

Although the council claimed the applicants failed to respond to communications, the Ombudsman determined that the pair had remained in contact. The council was unable to provide evidence of these alleged missed communications to the Ombudsman. The error left one individual at risk of infection due to an upcoming medical procedure while living in unstable conditions.