£16k payout ordered for disabled mum ‘let down’ by Hammersmith council

By Jacob Phillips, Local Democracy Service

A local authority has had to pay a family over £16,000 for leaving a disabled mum and her son sharing a one-bedroom flat for four years.

Hammersmith and Fulham council offered the bedbound mum 12 properties after she became homeless but some of them did not meet her medical needs, according to an ombudsman report.

The mum, referred to only as Mrs Y, has a number of medical conditions which mean she cannot leave her son’s first-floor flat without help. The block of flats also does not have a lift.

Mrs Y’s son, Mr X, also accused the council of discriminating against his mum because of her race, age and disability. Hammersmith and Fulham council first said it would find Mrs Y a home in February 2018, five months after she had become homeless.

But it was not until four years later that she was given an appropriate property. The council offered her a range of homes but many were inappropriate for her needs.

In one case, Mrs Y was also asked to view a property in person despite being bedbound. When she arrived there was no wheelchair access.

The council only accepted Mrs Y needed to live on the ground floor in August 2020. But the next year she was offered another two properties that were not wheelchair accessible.

In another case, a housing association refused to let Mrs Y a property as she is not a UK national and her leave to remain had recently expired. On three occasions, Hammersmith and Fulham council offered Mrs Y a flat but after she accepted the homes they were then let to other applicants.

The council also did not accept that Mrs Y needed to live on a ground-floor property until August 2020. Mrs Y finally signed a tenancy agreement for a home in July 2022.

The ombudsman report said: “Mrs Y has been living in unsuitable accommodation at Mr X’s property for the entire time the council has owed her this homeless duty.”

It added: “There appears to be a lack of clarity or accuracy in the council’s record keeping which amounts to fault and has resulted in Mrs Y being nominated for or offered unsuitable properties.

“It is also concerning that the council has known throughout that Mrs Y is bedbound and cannot leave Mr X’s property unaided yet has required her to view unsuitable properties or be considered to have rejected them.”

Hammersmith and Fulham council has now apologised to the family and will pay them £16,450 in compensation. Mrs Y will receive £16,200 for being in unsuitable accommodation between February 2018 to July 2022.

Her son will also get £250 in compensation for the distress caused trying to solve the issue.

A Hammersmith and Fulham spokesman said: “We apologise unreservedly to the resident in this case and have paid her compensation. In February 2022, we successfully found her a suitable local home. We have now completely changed the way in which we notify tenants about property offers.”

Pictured top: Hammersmith town hall (Picture: Wikimedia Commons / Laurence Mackman)