The Ombudsman found Barnet Council at fault for leaving a wheelchair user in temporary housing it had judged unsuitable for 19 months. It must pay £100 a month, £1,900.

Barnet Council left a wheelchair user in temporary accommodation for 19 months after its own review found the home unsuitable for his disability needs. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found the council at fault.

The council has agreed to apologise and to pay him £100 for every month he spent there, £1,900 in total. The Ombudsman’s decision on case 25 014 079, dated 3 September 2026, is now published. The man is referred to only as Mr X.

What happened

The decision sets out this timeline:

  • November 2024: the council placed Mr X in temporary accommodation. It removed a kitchen radiator to make room for his wheelchair.
  • December 2024: the council reviewed the home and decided it was unsuitable for his disability needs.
  • March 2025: it offered him another property. In June, after an informal and then a formal review, the council decided that one was unsuitable too.
  • June 2025 to February 2026: the council considered 62 empty council homes and 24 possible temporary properties for him. None was suitable.
  • October 2025: Mr X complained to the Ombudsman.
  • March 2026: the council offered a property that Mr X accepted, subject to adaptations.
  • July 2026: the council said he could move in once the adaptations were finished and he and his occupational therapist agreed.

What the Ombudsman found

The investigator accepted that the council had searched. “I have seen evidence that the Council actively searched for alternative accommodation,” the decision says. But it was “unable to secure this for Mr X for 19 months”. The decision calls that “service failure which amounts to fault”.

Mr X also complained about heating charges on the property. The Ombudsman found no fault there. Apart from the kitchen radiator, his heating had not been disconnected, and he is liable for the charges. The council will take the unpaid heating charges off the £1,900.

The council had to apologise and pay within four weeks of the decision, and send the Ombudsman evidence that it had. A separate complaint from Mr X, about how the council handled a suitability review, was not upheld in June.

How Barnet compares

The Ombudsman’s figures for Barnet for April 2025 to March 2026 show:

  • 222 complaints about the council dealt with
  • 40 investigated in full, of which 33 were upheld (83%)
  • an average of 88% upheld among London boroughs
  • 8.1 upheld decisions per 100,000 Barnet residents, against a London borough average of 10.2
  • the council complied with the Ombudsman’s recommendations in all 31 cases recorded, and on time in 24 of them (77%)

What it means for you

If you are in temporary accommodation from Barnet Council and think it is not suitable for you, the decision sets out the rights that apply:

  • Ask for a review. Homeless applicants can ask for a review of the suitability of accommodation offered to them, within 21 days of being told of the decision. You can ask even if you have accepted the offer.
  • Complain to the council first. The Ombudsman normally only looks at a complaint once the council has had the chance to deal with it.
  • Then go to the Ombudsman. Its complaint form is free to use.
  • Know the benchmark. In this case the Ombudsman recommended £100 for each month spent in accommodation the council had already accepted was unsuitable.

Shelter and Citizens Advice give free help with housing problems, including review requests. Citizens Advice Barnet also worked with the council on its new council tax collection protocol.