William Eichler 04 September 2025

Council denies leaving man to sleep in car

Council denies leaving man to sleep in car  image
© Ian Peter Morton / Shutterstock.com.

A Lincolnshire man with health issues was left sleeping in his car after South Kesteven District Council failed to offer him temporary housing, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has ruled.

The man applied for help in January 2024, telling the council he was both homeless and unwell. According to the Ombudsman, the council did not properly assess his vulnerability and still failed to act when he later provided medical evidence in February.

The Ombudsman upheld his complaint, directing the council to apologise, pay £1,175 in compensation, and improve its homelessness procedures.

South Kesteven District Council disputed the findings, insisting it had ‘acted lawfully, proportionately, and within its statutory duty under the Housing Act 1996 at all stages of the homelessness application.’

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