£5,000 is to be awarded to a ‘vulnerable’ woman after being wrongly evicted from her council house, and forced to return to her violent ex.
On Monday night it was agreed by Luton Borough Council to make the payout to the woman, after being evicted by mistake over rent and arrears. The woman’s daughter was also evicted and forced to sleep in a car and stay with friends.
Call now on 0800 177 7293 or Claim Online!
The woman, who was awaiting a housing benefit appeal, complained to the Local Government Ombudsman that she should not have been evicted because her appeal was pending. After an investigation the council’s actions were said to be unfair.
Ombudsman Jerry White said: “I have no evidence that the council weighed in the balance her vulnerability, its statutory duty towards children and families, or the concern of its own social services staff and medical professionals about her housing situation, when making its decision to evict her over rent arrears.”
After carrying out a final cross check before her eviction it came to light that an error was made when the council filed the woman’s request for housing benefit appeal on its computer system. This meant that the housing team did not know an appeal was pending.
Mr White said that had a decision on the dispute been made earlier by the council, it was unlikely the woman would have ended up being evicted simply for arrears.
He said: “Her depression, and her experiences as a victim of domestic violence, means that she is a vulnerable woman whose housing circumstances are vitally important to her own welfare and that of her young child.
“In these circumstances the council should have reasonably considered whether it could reasonably take steps to assist her to overcome her debt problems. Had it done so it would have uncovered her underlying entitlement to housing benefit.
“I do not consider the council did enough here and in particular circumstances of her vulnerability that was service failure by the council.”
Mr White recommended that the council apologise to the woman and pay her £5,000, less any outstanding rent.