Woman using wheelchair unable to leave home for ‘months’ after council ignored request to move

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

A Croydon resident who uses a wheelchair didn’t leave their home for “months at a time” after the council refused to move her from a flat on the third floor of an apartment block with no lift.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said Croydon council was at fault for not properly considering health reports on the impact of a resident’s current home on her health.

The resident, known as Mrs X in the ombudsman’s report, was said to have a medical condition affecting her mobility, requiring her to use a walking stick and wheelchair.

The report said she also lived on the third floor of a building with no lift.

Mrs X reportedly asked Croydon council to be moved out of the flat in October 2021 as she was finding it “increasingly difficult” living on the top floor of the building.

The resident asked the council for updates in December, January and February after being told its medical assessment team would look into the application.

The ombudsman said in their report: “Mrs X [said] that because of the stairs, she did not leave the house for months at a time. She relied on her grandchildren to help her.”

After being told by the council that the medical summary she provided was not enough to make a decision to move her, the resident sent a report from an occupational therapist.

The report said: “Mrs X had ‘severe difficulty’ getting up and down the 28 stairs to her flat. Mrs X could not access the bath or shower. Even with major adaptations to the bathroom, the property would not be suitable because of the stairs.”

The council responded in August last year to say the resident had no housing need and would not be included on the housing register as she had not “provided sufficient” evidence that her conditions were made worse by her current accommodation.

The council apologised to Mrs X in January this year for its delay in reviewing its decision, and that its medical advisor was “unable to recommend rehousing”.

The ombudsman said in their report that they saw “no basis” for the council’s decision, and that the authority should not simply adopt the opinion of a third-party medical assessor.

The ombudsman suggested in their report that the council apologise to the resident in writing and offer £250 in recognition of the distress caused, as well as tell her the outcome of its assessment of her housing need.

They also suggested that the council provide training to staff conducting reviews of medical assessment decisions, as well as reminding staff to tell applicants if they will not be able to meet the 56-day timescale for responding to review requests.

Croydon council was approached for comment, but had not responded at the time of publication.

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