A vulnerable West London woman lost all of her belongings after Hounslow Council failed to arrange the collection of her possessions following an eviction, an Ombudsman investigation has found.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has ordered Hounslow Council to apologise and pay the woman £7,100 in compensation after identifying a series of failings in the way her case was handled.
The woman, referred to as Miss X in the report, had a number of health conditions and social care needs that affected her ability to manage daily tasks independently. She first sought help from the council after her landlord issued an eviction notice in spring 2024. Although the council initially accepted a duty to help prevent her from becoming homeless, the case was later closed when there was no evidence the landlord intended to proceed with the eviction.
However, the situation escalated later that year when the landlord applied for a possession order through the courts.
In March 2025, Miss X again approached the council for assistance. Shortly afterwards, a court granted the possession order and the council accepted it had a duty to help secure accommodation for her.
Ahead of her eviction, Miss X asked the council’s adult social care team for support with packing her belongings. The council instead provided details of a company that could assist her and later told her to leave her packed bags inside the property, assuring her that arrangements would be made for a removal company to collect them and place them into storage.
Miss X was evicted by bailiffs on May 16, 2025, and was moved into temporary accommodation.
But the council failed to tell the removal company that the collection was urgent. By the time workers arrived several days later, the landlord had already disposed of all of Miss X’s possessions.
According to the Ombudsman, she lost everything she owned, including clothing, toiletries and other essential personal items. The investigation also found that the council repeatedly placed Miss X in temporary accommodation that was unsuitable for her documented mobility needs.
Despite being aware of her health conditions, the authority moved her between three different temporary properties, including accommodation with stairs that she could not safely use.
The Ombudsman concluded that the unsuitable housing arrangements exposed Miss X to a significant risk of harm and contributed to a deterioration in her health.
Most of the compensation awarded reflects the lengthy period she spent living in accommodation that failed to meet her needs.
The £7,100 settlement includes £500 for the loss of her belongings and £300 for the distress caused by the council’s handling of the eviction.
Hounslow Council has been ordered to apologise and review its practices following the findings.
