A disabled woman has been awarded £1,500 from Barnet Council after it was found that it failed to provide her with adequate accommodation.

Mrs Green (not her real name) suffers from angina, osteoporosis, crushed vertebrae and is in constant pain. She has difficulty walking up stairs and cannot use a bath.

She and her husband applied for housing in April 1993 when the flat they were living in was repossessed. But a local government ombudsman's report found it took the council nearly two and a half years to find suitable accommodation, despite the fact that eight two-bedroom flats were provided for wheelchair-users between August 1994 and October 1995.

The couple were placed in a ground floor flat in July 1994. But Mrs Green told the council that it was not suitable as she could not use the bath and the hall was too narrow for her wheelchair.

At an interview to discuss her appeal, Mrs Green claimed the council room used was too small for her wheelchair and she had to leave it outside. As a result, council officers later said they had not known that she was a wheelchair user. The interview room has since been up-graded to make wheelchair access possible.

Their appeal was rejected but they were told that the flat would be adapted to suit their needs. By October this was still not done.

Mrs Green told investigators that she was in constant pain and felt that she had no control over her life.

The couple made a formal complaint to Barnet Council and the ombudsman's report found maladministration with intent. Since then the council has appointed a special allocations officer to carry out detailed casework.

A spokesman for the council said: "Barnet Council apologises for the inconvenience caused to Mrs Green. Barnet Council reviewed its procedures in 1995 and this showed up faults in the old policies. New procedures ensure the council takes into account individual needs of applicants and communicates with them properly and clearly."

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