Resident to receive almost £3k for council mistake

The compensation package was signed off in December and will come into effect this week

A Peterborough resident who may have missed out on social housing due to a council error will be paid £250 for every month they were affected by the mistake.

The resident, who has not been publicly named, will be given £2,950 in total, which included an extra £200 for their "time and trouble" going through the complaints process.

A Peterborough City Council (PCC) report showed the individual was wrongly categorised as not being in greater need of housing in April 2022 when changes to its allocations policy were implemented.

An investigation found that due to the mistake the individual may have missed out on available properties on the council's housing register.

Awards of this type "are not common", PCC said.

'General delays'

They will now receive £250 for every month between April 2022 and March 2023, when their complaint reached director level at the council.

During those 11 months, the individual also experienced "general delays in communication" with PCC's housing needs service, the council said.

The decision to award compensation was made by the council and supported by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Changes to the council's allocations policy in April 2022 included removing people from the waiting list who did not confirm they wished to remain on it.

They also gave priority to those who worked with the council to "prevent their homelessness", such as by reporting risks early rather than waiting until the threat was imminent.

The average waiting time for a two or three-bedroom house for those with the most need for housing is two-and-a-half years, PCC said.