The authority has brought its Local Government Social Care Ombudsman standoff to an end by settling two claims.
One of the cases involves a domestic abuse victim who was forced to live in bed and breakfast accommodation with her family for 13 weeks beyond the statutory six week limit.
The council has now paid £1,300 as a result of the failure despite initially claiming that only some of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) recommended sanction would be acted upon due to legislation guiding these being outdated.
The authority argued that in the 20 years since framework was established the housing and homelessness crisis has dramatically increased, placing undue pressure on local government. Ombudsman Amerdeep Clarke wrote to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, expressing concerns about the initial refusal to pay.
Another homeless family who spent 10 months more in temporary accommodation than is allowed by law has been paid £3,525. The Ombudsman described this as ‘a modest acknowledgement of what the families experienced’. Originally Leicester City Council has offered to pay £500 for causing distress.
‘I welcome the council’s change of position, which finally recognises the trauma these families have experienced, and I hope this may give them some closure to the issues,’ Clarke said. ‘As we have previously stated, all our recommendations are based on the particular injustices found in each case – we don’t punish councils or set precedents for other investigations.’
‘We stand by our position that a national homelessness crisis and 14 years of Government cuts have significantly impacted councils’ ability to meet requirements,’ said a spokesperson for Leicester City Council. ‘Following clarification from the Ombudsman that these payments will not set a wider precedent affecting council finances, we have accepted its recommendations… We continue to invest in affordable housing in Leicester, with more than £400 million committed since 2019 to deliver over 1,000 homes, and a further 1,500 to be provided by 2027.’
Image: Nirmal Rajendharkumar / Unsplash
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