Out-of-Area Housing Trauma: Enfield Council Pays Muslim Desi Survivor 1,100

A mother and her children, who were forced to flee domestic violence, have secured a £1,100 payout from Enfield Council after an official investigation concluded the authority was at fault for leaving them in "unsuitable accommodation" hundreds of miles from their support network for nearly three months.

The damning findings from the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) detailed how the council's negligence compounded the trauma for the vulnerable family, referred to anonymously as "Ms X" and her children, who presented as homeless in early 2024 after escaping domestic abuse.

Disrupting Education and Support

The LGO investigation found the council’s handling of the case caused a significant "injustice," particularly by disrupting the children's education and severing vital local support links. One of Ms X’s children was due to sit their GCSE examinations that year, while the other had special educational needs (SEN), making the stability of their schooling paramount. Despite this, the council made a direct offer of a private rental property located "out-of-area," described in the report as being at "the other end of the country." Critically, the council had failed to liaise with the new local authority regarding school places for either child before making the offer.

The reliance on a local support network was also a key factor in deeming the property unsuitable, a need exacerbated by the recent impact of domestic abuse on the family. By April, the council finally agreed the property was not suitable, but then further fault was found in the subsequent delay in moving the family back to the borough, a move that only happened in July after Ms X accepted a local offer.

Unreasonable Deadline and Council Fault

The LGO also criticised the short notice given to Ms X to accept or decline the distant property offer, a situation that could have ended the council’s statutory 'prevent and relief' duties. The report found Ms X had from 4pm on a Thursday until 10am the following Monday to consider the life-altering offer—less than four days and including weekend days.

While official guidance does not specify a set "reasonable period," the watchdog ruled the short notice was a clear fault, stating that applicants must be allowed a sufficient period to properly consider such offers.

In response to the LGO's findings, Enfield Council agreed to apologise and compensate the family. The £1,100 payment comprises £350 for each month the family was forced to live in the unsuitable accommodation, totalling £1,000 for the period, with an extra £100 added to reflect that the council acknowledged it could have "managed better." The council has since been approached for further comment regarding the systemic failures highlighted by the case.