Housing Benefit and the Welsh Assembly ombudsman service

I’ve been involved in a complaint by a Welsh emergency accommodation provider about a failure by a council to decide claims. They complained to the Welsh Ombudsman service, which is part of the Welsh Assembly.

The service first said that they could not adjudicate because landlords were barred from complaining (although this is only the case for registered housing associaitons)

Then they said that the provider had not suffered so only the claimants could complain, even though the claimants had been provided with free accommodation.

Then finally, when we had overcome all this they said that the claimants or the provider should appeal!

I note that there are few, if any published adjudications by the service on housing benefit.  I conclude that they don’t know about HB and will do anything to avoid investigating.

Does anybody else have any similar or different experiences?

Time for a complaint against the Ombudsman?  :-)

I’d bat it back to the Ombudsman pointing out that until the LA complies with its legal duty, no appeal can be made (i.e. without a decision, there is nothing to appeal against).

If all else fails, JR is the only option that springs to mind (probably to be sought by the LL).