Ombudsman decides London borough did not do enough to help family facing homelessness

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has found that the London Borough of Tower Hamlets did not do enough to help a family who were about to be evicted by their landlord.

The LGSCO said the council did not respond properly to the family after their landlord served them with a section 21 notice in November 2021, causing them to contact the council for help.

The father was disabled, and the extended family struggled to find another suitable property, meaning that they were forced to remain in the property.

The Ombudsman’s investigation found Tower Hamlets failed to meet its duties upon initial contact from the family.

The council should have had reason to believe the family were eligible for housing assistance and therefore provided them with interim accommodation, but it did not do so, the report said.

As a result, the family spent many months not knowing how or when the council would help them. They were eventually evicted by bailiffs, had to ask friends and family to look after their belongings, and spent several months in bed and breakfast accommodation away from their support networks and health services. The family eventually moved to self-contained accommodation.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Amerdeep Somal said: “This case clearly demonstrates how vital it is for councils to follow the correct process at the earliest opportunity to achieve the best possible outcome for vulnerable families at risk of losing their homes.

“Instead, Tower Hamlets relied on gatekeeping their services – and not acting until the family’s situation was desperate.

“As a result, the family tell me they had to face the humiliation and indignity of being evicted by bailiffs from their home, and the embarrassment of having to ask friends and family to look after their belongings until they were properly housed.”

Somal added: “I am pleased London Borough of Tower Hamlets has agreed to my recommendations and hope the lessons that can be learned from this case will prevent this happening to others.”

A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: “We fully accept the report and its findings, and we apologise to Mr X for the uncertainty and upset we caused him and his family.

“These findings came at a time when we were facing unprecedented demand for housing and homelessness services.

“Our team is working hard to improve and already acting on the report’s recommendations.”

Harry Rodd