A North London mum has been awarded more than £5,000 after the local authority mishandled her homelessness application. The failings left her and her two children sofa-surfing and rough sleeping for more than a year, according to the Ombudsman report.
An investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) found that Brent Council was at fault for failing to inform the mum – referred to in the report as Miss X – of her right to review when it offered her unsuitable temporary accommodation. This caused her and her children to be without accommodation for 15 months.
The council repeatedly offered Miss X the same emergency accommodation out of the borough, which she had declined due to it being too far from her job and children’s school. The local authority has now agreed to pay £5,250 to Miss X – £350 for every month she had to sofa-surf or sleep rough – as it failed to inform her of her right to review the offering.
Miss X and her children approached Brent Council after they were threatened with homelessness, with the local authority accepting housing duty in September 2023. Its assessment, which included advice from the medical officer, stated that B&Bs, out-of-borough placements, and private rented properties would be suitable.
In February 2024, Miss X and her children were evicted. The council offered them emergency accommodation on the same day but this declined as it was “too far from her job and the children’s school”, according to the report. However, the council did not inform Miss X that she could review this decision.
Miss X claimed that she and her children slept on friends’ sofas throughout February and March, whilst the council continued to offer the mum the same property she had previously rejected. It told her that this was all that was available “due to the chronic housing shortage in the area”, according to the LGO report. It also encouraged Miss X to find her own private rented accommodation.
The council apologised to Miss X for not informing her of her right to review the suitability of the temporary accommodation offered after she made a formal complaint in August 2024. It also backdated Miss X’s priority on the housing register, offered her £300 in recognition of the oversight, and again encouraged her to accept the out-of-borough property..
In April 2025, the council made Miss X another offer of temporary accommodation in a different area but that was still some distance from her job and the children’s school. Miss X refused the offer and it was at this time that the council informed her of her review rights, according to the LGO.
The Ombudsman found that Brent Council had repeatedly failed to tell Miss X that she could ask for a review of the suitability of the offered property The report added: “As a result of this fault, Miss X and her two young children remained without suitable accommodation between February 2024, when they were evicted, and April 2025 when Miss X was advised of her review rights.”
The local authority has agreed to make a payment of 3350 per month for those months spent without suitable accommodation “given the length of time and vulnerability of the family”, according to the report.
A Brent Council Spokesperson said: “We sincerely apologise to Miss X for the distress and hardship she and her family experienced due to our failure to inform her of her review rights when temporary accommodation was offered. We recognise the significant impact this had on the family, and we have offered financial compensation in acknowledgment of this.
“We have accepted the Ombudsman’s findings and continue to strengthen our processes. This includes ensuring all applicants are clearly informed of their right to request a review when temporary accommodation is offered, improving the quality and consistency of advice provided, and reinforcing staff training and oversight.
“Our priority remains to provide fair, timely and compassionate support to residents in housing need, and we are committed to making the improvements necessary to prevent a repeat of these failings.”
Grant Williams is a journalist and Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Reach PLC, reporting on local government, politics and community issues across London. As part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he has contributed to Harrow Online, covering council decisions, housing developments, transport, planning matters and stories affecting local communities across Harrow and Brent.
