[Your (applicant’s) address]
								[Your telephone number]
								[Your email address] 
[Date]

[Address of the Council’s corporate complaints department]

By [first class post / email to: [insert email address]]


Dear Sir/Madam

Formal complaint 
Application for help as homeless under Part 2 Chapter 2 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014
[Title summarising nature of complaint, e.g. Disposal of personal belongings]

I write to make a formal complaint.  

On or around [date] I applied to the council for help because I was [homeless / threatened with homelessness].

My reasons for complaining are:
[Insert reasons for your complaint. The following is just an illustrative example]
* Having accepted a duty to protect my personal belongings the Council collected my belongings from [address] on or around [date] and placed them into storage.
* The Council subsequently disposed of these belongings on or around [date].
* At the time the Council disposed of my possessions it still had reason to believe that there was danger of loss or damage to my belongings because I remained unable to protect or deal with them. I informed the Council on [date] that [I was unable to take delivery of my possessions because I remained homeless].
* The Council did not notify me in writing that it considered that the duty had ended. Nor has the Council provided me with any reasons for any decision that the duty had ended.

This situation has caused me injustice because:
* I have lost most of my personal possessions.
* I estimate it will cost me £[…] to replace my possessions, at a time when I am already suffering homelessness and financial hardship.
* Some of the items are of particular value to me for personal reasons and I will be unable to replace them. Specifically, [give details and confirm reasons].
* [etc.]

I enclose a list of my possessions that have been lost together with estimates of their replacement value.

Please forward me a copy of the Council’s complaints policy and procedures, and confirm the name of the officer who is dealing with my complaint.

Please also forward me a full copy of my homelessness file records, including all written and electronic records made and documents sent and received in connection with my homeless application and the collection, storage and disposal of my personal possessions. Please advise me in writing by if you require a fee in connection with this request.

Please note that if I do not receive a satisfactory response to this letter within the timescale prescribed by your complaints policy I may submit a formal complaint to the Ombudsman, without further reference to you.

Yours faithfully




[Your name]
	
Enc:	List of personal belongings with estimated replacement values









W_HLESS_APP_02  
From homeless applicant to council’s corporate complaints department
Formal complaint about homeless application