The woman accrued rent arrears after the council failed to set her up with a payment account and was then evicted without support from children’s services, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

Newham Council evicted a single mother from her home after failing to charge her rent – then left her without assistance from children’s services.

These are the key findings from an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, which said the council left the woman “in a difficult situation” that caused her distress.

A council spokesperson admitted to “a number of failures” in the way it handled her case and “unreservedly apologised” for the errors.

The woman – named only as “Ms X” in the ombudsman’s report – moved into a council home in 2020.

However, the town hall failed to set up a rent account for her, and she “did not make any rent payments for about two years”. The ombudsman said that she “accumulated significant rent arrears” as a result.

The report says the council “accepted there had been a failure to set up the rent account” and reduced Ms X’s rent arrears by 20% (£5,260), while not applying rent increases which would have been due in 2021 and 2022.

However, the council claimed that “Ms X also contributed to the issue of rent arrears” and began eviction proceedings over unpaid rent in 2024.

Ms X emailed her housing officer in July and November 2024, and again in February 2025, to say that the eviction threatened her with homelessness.

However, the council didn’t reply or take action until 24th March 2025, when it accepted its legal duty to find her temporary accommodation. By this point it had already begun eviction proceedings.

Ms X appealed against the evictions, but, on the morning of a court hearing, the council emailed her with an offer of temporary accommodation in a neighbouring area.

It said she had until 2pm that day to decide whether to accept the property.

According to the ombudsman: “Ms X says that due to the stress of having to attend court, she was unable to properly consider the offer.”

She did not accept the property, and the council decided it no longer had to find her temporary accommodation. It evicted her on 1st April.

The council then told her it would refer her to children’s social care “as she had a dependent child and was homeless”.

However, the ombudsman’s report says this was also “not properly actioned”. This meant that “Ms X was not offered assistance by children’s services”.

Ms X finally signed a tenancy agreement for a private sector home on 22nd April, and so was no longer homeless.

The ombudsman said the council had a duty to prevent Ms X becoming homeless after her email in February 2025, but “delayed taking action”.

However, the report found the council “did not leave Ms X without accommodation”.

It said: “While it may have been difficult to respond on the day she was in court this does not lead me to conclude the council acted with fault.”

The ombudsman did criticise the council for then failing to refer Ms X to children’s social services, “which may have resulted in action being taken to assist Ms X, possibly including the offer of short-term accommodation”.

The report said: “She was left in a difficult situation and this caused distress.”

The ombudsman ordered the council to make a “symbolic payment of £150 to recognise the distress and uncertainty caused as a result of the council not taking action”.

A council spokesperson said the local authority had offered Ms X “a financial remedy in excess of £6,000”.

They said: “There have been a number of failures in the way Miss X’s case has been handled, for which the council has unreservedly apologised.

“The individual failings have been investigated, and appropriate processes have been put in place to ensure there is no repetition.”

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