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London council ordered to pay family of seven £6,000 after leaving them in one-bedroom flat during pandemic
A London council has agreed to pay a family of seven £6,000 after they were left living in a one-bedroom flat for more than a year during the early stages of the pandemic.
The family, whose case has been investigated by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, presented as homeless to Bromley Council in July 2019 after being served a Section 21 notice by their private landlord.
Referred to as ‘Mr B’ in the ombudsman’s report, the claimant had originally been living alone in the one-bedroom property but his partner and five children also came to live there shortly before the eviction notice was served. At that time, the children were aged between six months and eight years.
Bromley Council accepted it had a homelessness prevention duty towards the family in September 2019 and made attempts to find the family other private rented accommodation.
However, the family remained in the one-bedroom property until November 2020, when the council moved them into a four-bedroom interim property. It was not until this point the local authority accepted that it owed the family a main housing duty, meaning it a had a duty to provide them with temporary accommodation.
The family was not evicted from the original property during this period due to the restrictions on evictions brought in during the coronavirus pandemic.
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According to the ombudsman, Bromley Council accepted that it should have provided the family with interim accommodation in July 2019.
Mr B said the council’s failings placed his family under a high level of stress as his children were sleeping in the hall and kitchen due to the lack of space, the report said.
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Michael King said: “Because of the lack of action by the council in this case, a family of seven had to live in a single bedroom flat for more than a year longer than they should have.
“That this happened during the first lockdown, when people’s movements were significantly restricted, [which could] have only increased the distress they felt.”
Prior to Mr B man complaining to the ombudsman, Bromley Council had apologised and made a £4,000 payment to acknowledge the time the family had spent in unsuitable accommodation.
The ombudsman’s investigation recognised the council’s early offer to the family in recognition of its faults. However, it also found that the local authority did not do enough to ascertain the family was living in overcrowded circumstances, or consider early enough whether the family needed interim accommodation.
Bromley Council has also been ordered to send Mr B a written apology. It will also have to provide the ombudsman with evidence on “how it will ensure that all relevant staff are aware of their responsibilities in relation to assessing homeless applicants”.
The local authority has accepted the recommendation, the report said.
When approached by Inside Housing, Bromley Council declined to comment on the case.
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