Send a written request today asking the landlord or housing association to review the complaint decision and confirm, in writing, how the medical evidence was considered. If nothing is done, the situation usually drifts into repeated delays, the same decision being restated, and the household staying in unsuitable conditions. Keep the request focused on the outcome needed, the dates, and the documents already provided. If the complaint process has reached its final response, prepare to escalate to the Housing Ombudsman using the landlord’s official complaints route and the Ombudsman’s online form.
What the problem is
This problem shows up in UK housing complaints where a tenant, leaseholder, or household member has supplied medical evidence to support a repair priority, a move request, a management transfer, or an adjustment to how the home is managed. It often affects social housing tenants and housing association residents, but it can also appear with local authority landlords and, less commonly, with private landlords using an agent-led complaints process. The issue tends to surface after the resident has already raised the matter informally, provided GP letters or hospital notes, and then receives a complaint response that either does not mention the medical evidence or dismisses it in a single line.
In many UK cases, the turning point is the stage-one or stage-two complaint reply where the landlord confirms a decision but gives no clear reasoning about health impacts, risk, or vulnerability. Sometimes the evidence is acknowledged but treated as “not relevant” without explaining what would be relevant. Other times the landlord says it cannot consider medical information, even though it has already asked for it, or it says it can only act after an inspection but then does not arrange one.
Why this happens
Medical evidence gets ignored in housing complaints for a few recurring reasons. Frontline teams often work to narrow policies, such as repair categories, allocations criteria, or transfer rules, and they may treat medical letters as background rather than decision-driving evidence. Complaints handlers may rely on templated responses that focus on process steps completed rather than the impact on the resident, especially where the underlying team has already decided the request is out of scope or too costly.
Another common driver is internal separation between departments: repairs, housing management, allocations, and complaints may each hold part of the information, and the complaint response can end up reflecting only one team’s view. Where there is a backlog, the incentive is to close complaints quickly by restating the original decision rather than reopening assessments. A typical organisational response pattern is that the landlord acknowledges receipt of documents, then issues a final response that repeats policy wording without showing how the evidence changed (or did not change) the decision.
Your rights in practice
In UK housing complaints, the practical leverage comes from forcing clarity: what decision was made, what evidence was considered, what criteria were applied, and what would change the outcome. Landlords are expected to run a fair complaints process, and a complaint response that does not engage with key evidence is often treated as incomplete or unreasonable when reviewed externally. The most effective approach is usually to ask for a review that is tightly framed around decision-making, not around arguing medical details.
It also helps to separate two tracks that often get muddled. One track is the housing action needed (repairs, damp treatment, decant, transfer request, management move, or adjustments). The other track is the complaint about how the landlord handled the request and the evidence. Keeping these distinct makes it harder for the landlord to close the complaint by saying “the repair is logged” while leaving the health impact unaddressed.
Where the complaint is already at the final response stage, escalation is not about proving a diagnosis; it is about showing that the landlord did not properly consider relevant information or explain its reasoning. Clear, dated evidence and a clear timeline usually carry more weight than long narratives. The aim is to secure a proper reconsideration, a clear plan with timescales, or a remedy where the handling has fallen short.
Official basis in UK
The Housing Ombudsman’s complaint-handling role is the main official route for most social housing complaints once the landlord’s complaints process has been completed. In practice, the Ombudsman looks at whether the landlord acted fairly, followed its policies, considered relevant information (including vulnerability and health impacts where raised), and explained its decisions. Where medical evidence appears to have been ignored, the Ombudsman typically focuses on the quality of the landlord’s reasoning, record-keeping, and whether it took reasonable steps to investigate and respond.
The Ombudsman expects residents to complete the landlord’s complaint stages first, then submit the complaint to the Ombudsman with the final response and supporting documents. The process is designed to be document-led, so a well-organised bundle and a clear statement of what outcome is sought usually helps. The Ombudsman’s own guidance on making a complaint and what to provide is here: GOV.UK guidance.
Evidence that matters
The strongest evidence is the evidence that shows the landlord had the information and still failed to address it. That means keeping proof of what was sent, when it was sent, and what the landlord said in response. Medical evidence is useful when it links symptoms or risk to the housing issue (for example, damp affecting breathing, mobility issues affecting access, or mental health impacts from disrepair), but it is even more useful when it is paired with housing evidence such as photos, inspection notes, and repair logs.
Focus on documents that show decision points: the complaint acknowledgement, stage-one response, stage-two response (or final response), and any internal notes the landlord has shared. If the landlord has a vulnerability or support needs flag, keep screenshots or letters confirming it. If the landlord arranged inspections, keep appointment texts, missed appointment records, and any surveyor reports.
What not to do is just keep sending more medical letters without tying them to a specific decision and a specific request for review. That often leads to the same outcome: the landlord says it has “noted” the information but does not change anything.
Quick checklist
- Copies of all medical evidence already provided, with the date sent and the method (email, portal upload, post).
- The complaint timeline: initial report date, complaint date, stage-one response date, final response date.
- Photos/videos of the housing issue with dates, plus any inspection or survey reports.
- Repair logs, job numbers, and appointment records (including no-shows and cancellations).
Common mistakes
Three common mistakes are sending original documents without keeping copies, relying on phone calls with no written follow-up, and asking for a “medical priority” without stating the practical housing outcome needed and why. One thing not to do yet is to start a new complaint about the same issue before the current complaint has reached a final response, because it often resets the process and delays escalation.
What to do next
Start by pinning down where the complaint is in the landlord’s official process. If there has not been a final response, the next step is usually a request to move the complaint to the next stage, specifically because the response did not address the medical evidence or explain how it was weighed. If there has been a final response, the next step is usually escalation to the Housing Ombudsman, using the Ombudsman’s official complaint route after completing the landlord’s process.
Write the review
Send a short email or letter to the landlord’s complaints team (or through the landlord’s online complaints portal if that is the official channel). Ask for a review of the decision and require a written explanation that answers three points: what medical evidence was received, what criteria were applied, and why the evidence did not change the outcome (or what would change it). Keep the tone factual and include the key attachments again, but only the relevant ones.
Use official route
If the landlord requires complaints to be submitted through an official form or portal, use that route rather than informal emails to individual staff. The official complaints page is normally found on the landlord’s website under “Complaints”, and it usually asks for the complaint reference, the stage reached, and the outcome sought. Prepare the information in advance so the submission is complete and easy to track.
Prepare the details
- Complaint reference number and the date of the last response received.
- A one-paragraph summary of the housing issue and the health impact being relied on.
- A list of the medical documents provided, with dates and how they were sent.
- The specific outcome requested (for example, inspection, repair plan, temporary move, reassessment, or a written reconsideration with reasons).
- Copies of the stage responses and any inspection reports.
Wait for reply
The normal timeframe for a landlord to respond depends on its policy, but a stage response is commonly expected within a few weeks rather than months. If there is no response by the deadline the landlord has set (or no meaningful update within a reasonable period), chase once in writing and ask for a confirmed date for the next stage response. If the landlord still does not respond, escalate by submitting the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman with evidence that the landlord’s process has been completed or has stalled after a final response.
Escalate properly
When escalating, keep the focus on complaint handling and decision-making: the medical evidence was provided, the landlord did not show it was considered, and the response did not explain the reasoning or the steps it would take to investigate. Include the final response letter and highlight the exact lines where the evidence is missing or dismissed without reasons. A typical real UK outcome is that the landlord is told to re-review the case and provide a clearer decision with a practical plan.
When it resolves
This issue is usually resolved when the landlord is pushed into a documented reassessment that links the evidence to a clear action plan, or when external escalation prompts a proper written explanation and a timetable for the housing steps.
Related issues on this site
If the ignored evidence sits alongside damp, mould, or repeated missed repairs, it can help to treat the housing condition and the complaint handling as separate problems so the repair route does not get lost inside the complaint. Where the landlord has provided a final response but the household is still waiting for works to start, the next issue is often delay after a complaint outcome rather than the decision itself. In those situations, the patterns described in landlord repairs delayed after complaint and damp and mould complaint not taken seriously tend to overlap with medical evidence being sidelined.
Get help with the next step
Contact UKFixGuide — Share the landlord’s final response date and what the reply failed to say about the medical evidence, so the next escalation step can be set out clearly.
