Not giving payout to homeless family ‘cruel’

COUNCIL SEEKS TIME TO CHECK IF PRECEDENT SE

- By HANNAH RICHARDSON

OPPOSITION councillors say refusal to pay a homeless family full compensation is vindictive and cruel.

The ombudsman ruled last year Leicester City Council had left the family, who were fleeing domestic abuse, in unsuitable accommodation for too long.

The mother, Ms X, and her children ended up in a bed and breakfast for months longer than the law allows after initially being placed in a refuge that “negatively affected the children’s health” and was “too far away from their support network’, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said.

The council also failed to act quickly enough when the family first approached it and did not inform the family of their rights or the authority's duty to house them.

While the council apologised, it refused to pay the full compensation recommended by the watchdog.

The council has argued the situation was outside of its control and there was no other accommodation available due to the housing crisis.