A visually impaired man was wrongly left languishing in hotel accommodation for a year living off a daily diet of takeaways, a watchdog has found.
A homeless man, known only as Mr B, was found to have been left financially worse off after being forced to purchase takeaway meals every day for 13 months due to being placed in hotel accommodation that did not offer cooking facilities.
His temporary placement was also far from members of his support network, making hospital appointments difficult to attend, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said.
The watchdog has ordered Westminster City Council to pay £3,900 in compensation to the individual. The council said it had apologised to Mr B and would seek to make improvements.
The compensation sum was £550 higher than the local authority had originally offered, with the watchdog concluding there were "significant factors" justifying a larger payment.
The ombudsman, in an outcome decision, said: “I welcome the council’s offer of £3,350 to remedy the injustice. However, I think its decision to base the amount on £150 a month is flawed.
“We take into account all the circumstances in reaching a decision on a suitable amount within our range of £150 to £350 per month. The council has already recognised Mr B had to buy takeaways every day and was vulnerable due to his disabilities.
“I note he had extra travelling costs due to being away from his support network and in an unfamiliar area, which was exacerbated by his disability. I consider these are significant factors which warrant a higher payment of £300 per month.”
The ombudsman’s report said that in June 2024 the council decided, following contact with Mr B, that his hotel placement — which had started in May 2023 after he declared himself homeless — was unsuitable and promised to look for alternatives.
By January 2025, with his situation still not resolved, Mr B’s representative lodged a formal complaint. The resident was then successfully relocated to new housing the following month.
In its official report, the watchdog ruled that the local authority delayed finding suitable accommodation for a total of 13 months.
This spanned from June 2024 to February 2025, alongside a five-month delay in notifying Mr B that his relief duty — a legal obligation under law for a council to help a homeless person find accommodation — had ended.
The council in August 2025 had offered a total of £3,350 in compensation to Mr B. Following a referral to the ombudsman, the payout was increased to £3,900.
A Westminster City Council spokesman said: “We take the findings seriously and have apologised to the resident for any stress and inconvenience caused.
“We carefully review all ombudsman decisions and use the learning from them to support ongoing service development and improvements while navigating significant pressures on housing services.
“The council is committed to addressing complaints as quickly as possible, but Westminster is facing enormous demand for temporary accommodation. We recognise the challenges this can create for residents and make sure they receive support throughout the process.”
