Birmingham City Council has apologised after a man was left in unsuitable temporary accommodation for eight years despite the council knowing it did not meet his needs as a wheelchair user.
An investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found that for the past eight years, the man has been unable to access the property without the help of others because of a step.
The Ombudsman also discovered that the man has fallen while trying to get inside the property, and his wife has had to drag him inside, including when she was pregnant.
The Birmingham man has also not been able to wash without help because the home only has a bath and no shower.
The Ombudsman’s investigation found the council at fault for failing to review the suitability of the man’s accommodation despite his complaints.
The council has agreed to apologise and pay the man a total of £29,700, based on £300 for each of the 99 months he has already spent in unsuitable accommodation.
Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: ‘For too long this man has had to live with the indignity of being unable to access his home and bathe without help.
‘Despite the council knowing the property is unsuitable, it has failed to offer him a proper alternative since 2014.
‘I appreciate the great pressures the council is under to provide housing for homeless people, but it should not have taken so long in this man’s case.
‘I am pleased the council has accepted the findings of my report and acted swiftly to provide the remedy I have recommended which recognises the length of time the family has suffered.’
A council spokesperson said: ‘Birmingham City Council apologises unreservedly to the tenant in this particular case and has agreed to pay them the full compensation outlined in the report, and continue to work with the household to source the suitable accommodation that the tenant seeks.
‘All the other recommendations in the report will also be acted upon and new systems have been put in place to ensure we do all we can to prevent a similar case reoccurring.’
