Leeds man missed crucial email offering him council house because he 'ran out of data' on phone

The home-seeker ran out of data and missed an email from Leeds City Council offering him the property as a result, a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said.

The email was sent after the local authority had been unable to reach the man, referred to in the report as Mr X, by phone.

He complained to the Ombudsman that the council was at fault, because he said a second number they’d dialled was not the right one.

But the Ombudsman rejected the complaint, saying there was “insufficient evidence” of fault by the local authority.

The report said: “Mr X did not see the email because he had run out of data.

“By the time Mr X saw the email, the deadline had passed and the council had bypassed him for the property.

“Mr X later advised he does not use one of the phone numbers and he has amended the contact details on his application.

“Mr X says he would have accepted the flat and says the council did not try both numbers.”

But the Ombudsman said the council “had tried both numbers” and had insisted “it was not responsible for Mr X not having data”.

The report added: “It is unfortunate Mr X had no data but this was not the council’s fault and it acted appropriately by sending an email when the officer could not speak to Mr X.”