Social housing interventions by the Ombudsman more than triple in a year in England

4 November 2024, 14:22 | Updated: 5 November 2024, 03:21

The number of interventions made by the Housing Ombudsman to help people in England has more than tripled in a year.

In one case, a man had to carry his severely disabled daughter up and down stairs every day for almost two years as they waited for repairs to their social housing.

Failures by landlords lead to "children missing school, reports of declining health, or people forced to sleep on sofas or floors", Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said.

There were 21,740 interventions to correct things for residents in the year to March, the Housing Ombudsman said.

In its previous report, the number was 6,590.

Failures or delays by landlords also rose sharply, from 2,430 maladministration findings in the 2022/23 report, to 8,619 in the latest review.

Maladministration is defined as a formal decision by the ombudsman that a landlord has failed to do something, has done something they should not have, or, in the ombudsman's opinion, has delayed unreasonably.

Severe maladministration findings, involving excessive delays, or cases in which particular vulnerabilities have not been considered, shot up from 131 to 856.

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Mr Blakeway said the figures were "another stark reminder of the scale of the housing emergency and the urgent need for landlords to improve essential services and some living conditions".

While some landlords resolve requests successfully, Mr Blakeway said the causes of failures are consistent: these include not meeting statutory requirements, failing to recognise hazards, protracted repairs, and overlooking disabilities and health needs.

"These failings are compounded by poor communication, complaint-handling and record-keeping," he said.

Desirable improvements include more investment in existing homes, improved systems and technology, and stronger service management.

Mr Blakeway welcomed the forthcoming Decent Homes Standard, which he said will "set minimum conditions of social homes for the next generation".

(c) Sky News 2024: Social housing interventions by the Ombudsman more than triple in a year in England