Homeless Mother to Receive Compensation After Unsuitable Housing Separated Her from Disabled Children

A homeless mother is set to receive a minimum of £15,000 in compensation. This follows a period of over eighteen months during which she could not reside with her two disabled children because a south London council provided her with a flat lacking wheelchair accessibility. The property was unsuitable for her two eldest children, both of whom have significant disabilities and special educational needs, as steps and flights of stairs obstructed access to almost every room. The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO), responsible for addressing complaints against local authorities, stated it had found “serious failings” in how Lambeth Council assessed the needs of the mother and her family. Lambeth Council indicated its acknowledgment of the ombudsman’s conclusions. Ms X, a mother of three, was placed in temporary accommodation, a maisonette located in an unspecified outer London borough, in February 2023. The two children, whose identities are also withheld, were required to reside at a residential school catering to children with physical and special educational needs. This school is situated outside London but in proximity to their mother’s temporary residence. Consequently, they were prevented from staying with Ms X for brief periods during weekends and school holidays due to the inaccessibility of the maisonette. Ms X requested a review of the temporary accommodation’s suitability from the council in February 2023; however, the LGO reported that the council did not respond to this request. A housing needs assessment for the family, submitted by Lambeth to the LGO during its March investigation, erroneously stated that the two eldest children were not residing with Ms X due to hospitalization. The LGO characterized this assessment as “inadequate” and mandated the council to revise and rectify it. Furthermore, the report noted a lack of evidence that Lambeth had considered or addressed significant concerns raised by the children’s social worker in December 2023 concerning the emotional effects of the separation on the siblings. The council received an order to pay Ms X £350 monthly, backdated to February 2023, until she is rehoused in appropriate accommodation. Additionally, a £3,000 lump sum payment was mandated to acknowledge the distress inflicted upon the two children. Lambeth is also required to compensate the woman £4,750 for preventable financial losses stemming from incurred storage costs, along with £250 per month for ongoing storage expenses until she is relocated to a suitable property. A spokesperson for Lambeth Council stated: “We acknowledge the findings of the ombudsman and have agreed to carry out the recommended actions.” The council further committed to issuing an apology to Ms X.