Luton Borough Council had a backlog of benefits appeals cases dating back five years, an investigation has found.
A man complained to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman that Luton had cancelled his mother’s housing benefit in 2017, but not referred her case to a tribunal for six years. It should have taken no more than four weeks.
The Ombudsman then discovered a backlog of 68 appeals waiting to be referred to the tribunal, with the oldest dating back to 2019.
The local authority said it should now be able to clear the backlog within four months.
Ombudsman Amerdeep Somal said: ‘Although the woman at the centre of the complaint had her appeal rejected, there is a possibility that some of the people within the 68 still waiting to be referred to the tribunal will have their appeal upheld, and will therefore have been without the benefits they have been entitled to for a prolonged period.’
A council spokesperson said: ‘While the council’s original housing benefit decision was upheld, the length of time it took to forward it to tribunal was not acceptable.
‘It falls far short of the standards we set ourselves and showed weaknesses in our internal processes which has also caused delays to other residents who have appealed their decisions.’
