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Council hit with ‘severe maladministration’ finding after 83-year-old left without hot water for three years

A council has been hit with a “severe maladministration” finding by the Housing Ombudsman and ordered to pay £6,000 in compensation after it left an 83-year-old tenant without heating or hot water for nearly three years.

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The issue was first raised by the resident in 2017 (picture: Getty)
The issue was first raised by the resident in 2017 (picture: Getty)
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A council has been hit with a “severe maladministration” finding by the Housing Ombudsman and ordered to pay £6,000 in compensation after it left an 83-year-old tenant without heating or hot water for nearly three years #UKhousing

Woking Borough Council was first alerted about the issue by the resident, identified only as Ms J, in September 2017.

But the 3,300-home landlord was unable to gain access to her home to fix the issue, and six weeks later forced entry to cap the gas supply.

An investigation by the ombudsman found no evidence that the council took any further action for a year until the annual gas safety check, with no attempt made to investigate what repairs were needed.

Ms J refused access for the following two annual gas safety inspections, meaning her gas supply remained cut off.

The complaints arbitration service concluded that while issues access the property made things difficult for the council, “its lack of action was extremely concerning”.

Several opportunities to try and resolve the matter were missed, it added, while there was “no evidence” that the council tried to check on Ms J’s welfare.


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As well as paying compensation, the ombudsman ordered Woking Council to offer the resident alternative heating, plus a safe way to make hot food in the short term.

The council was also told to demonstrate to the ombudsman that it has a “robust plan in place” to repair the boiler and reinstate the gas supply.

Housing ombudsman Richard Blakeway said: “These failings demonstrated a lack of regard to the landlord’s obligations as well as a lack of concern for any health and safety risks.

“The lack of heating and hot water caused the resident severe distress and inconvenience. Her case reinforces our concerns about the significant impact of heating and hot water issues on residents.

“I welcome the landlord’s prompt actions following our decision and it is now crucial for it to learn lessons arising from our investigation.

“I would encourage other landlords to consider the learning this report offers for their own services.”

The finding follows a report earlier this month on heating and hot water issues dealt with by the ombudsman, in which the service warned that the sector must place greater emphasis on getting repairs “right first time”.

The Housing Ombudsman has only recently begun naming landlords involved in cases where it finds the most severe failings, as part of a general drive towards greater transparency.

Last month it revealed that a severe maladministration finding had been issued against 42,000-home housing association Orbit, in a case where a mother and son were left without heating and hot water for at least eight months.

Louise Strongitharm, director of housing at Woking Borough Council, said: “We are very sorry for any distress caused to the resident concerned.

“Whilst the access difficulties have been challenging for staff and contractors over an extended period, we should have acted more proactively in addressing the issues.

“Since receiving the Housing Ombudsman’s report, we have carried out all of the recommendations, including paying compensation, offering the resident alternative heating and cooking options, as well as providing a plan to repair the boiler and reinstate the gas supply to the property.

“We have also learnt from this case and made some immediate improvements, including reviewing and adapting our complaints procedure accordingly.

“We continue to work with and support the resident to find a permanent solution to their housing situation.”

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