A disabled man has won his claim in a long-running dispute to get his social housing flat in Reading in a liveable condition.
Dave Jurgensen lives in a ground-floor flat in Luscinia View run by Southern Housing.
For years, he has been trying to get adjustments to his home to accommodate his disabilities, as he has had cerebral palsy since birth, and also suffers from asthma and dyslexia.
Back in August 2018, an occupational therapist determined Mr Jurgensen needed a new ramp to access his home, bathroom repairs, adaptations to the kitchen and an automated door entry system.
These works are facilitated by a disabled facilities grant, which are provided by councils to make adjustments to allow people to stay where they live.
However, Mr Jurgensen has suffered years of delays to the works proposed, prompting him to ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) to investigate his complaint that the council had failed to complete promised works.
The investigation was connected to an earlier LGO decision from July 2022 which found that Reading Borough Council had delayed processing his disabled facilities grant, which had taken 920 days to approve with no work being undertaken.
That investigation concluded that the delay in completing Mr Jurgensen’s disabled facilities grant and the works had caused him significant injustice.
In recompense, the council agreed to apologise to him and pay him £3,000, amounting to £100 for the 30 months of delay.
This payment is on top of the £7,672.64 of disabled facilities grant funding to cover home adjustments and unforeseen works.
Mr Jurgensen was moved to a hotel for six months due to the presence of mould at his flat that was outside of the scope of the ombudsman’s investigation.
He returned to his flat in Luscinia View on Thursday, November 21, 2024.
At the time, he complained about an external vent causing cold indoors.
Photos provided by Mr Jurgensen from that month show mould on a wall and an exposed ceiling within his flat.
In their report, the ombudsman concluded that ‘work to his home is taking far too long’, with adjustments still outstanding on his kitchen and bathroom.
The latest investigation concluded that the council should reconsider its decision that Mr Jurgensen must stay elsewhere while works are carried out.
The council has agreed to that, stating it would be possible for him to stay there if he wants.
A spokesperson for the council said: “We accept the ombudsmen’s findings.
“We are continuing to work with the resident to ensure their needs are met.”
Mr Jurgensen has disputed the adequacy of the works suggested.
An initial design for a ramp was rejected by him on October 31, 2022, as he argued the design did not reflect the structure of his home or the position of the existing ramp.
While a ramp was installed in July 2023, a dispute remains over its layout, with Mr Jurgensen wishing for the old ramp to be removed and the new one to be extended under his patio door.
Furthermore, he has argued the ramp is “incomplete” as a handrail he requested has not been installed.
