Birmingham City Council has been ordered to pay £1,300 in financial compensation after a series of failures left a homeless father and his newborn child without accommodation for more than six months. The housing ombudsman found that the council mishandled the case of a man referred to as Mr B, a refugee who had been granted status and was receiving Universal Credit.
Council Failed to Recognise Family Needs
Mr B first approached the council for help in December 2024, explaining that he was at risk of homelessness and caring for his baby. However, the council treated him as a single person and did not provide temporary accommodation. His partner was in prison, and the tenancy was in her sole name, with the landlord seeking possession of the property. Despite Mr B providing relevant documentation, the council failed to recognise his family housing needs.
Months of Sofa Surfing
By March and April 2025, Mr B was homeless and sofa surfing with his baby, but the council still did not house them. It was only after a housing charity threatened legal action that the council stepped in and provided interim accommodation. The ombudsman found that the council failed to meet its immediate duty to provide accommodation on multiple occasions and concluded that had the council acted correctly, Mr B and his child would have been housed months earlier.
A council spokesperson said: "We accept the ombudsman's findings in this case and deeply regret the distress this family has experienced." Mr B was awarded £1,300 for the distress caused, and the family was eventually rehoused in January 2026.
