A GOVERNMENT watchdog has slammed Redbridge Council for repeatedly failing to help a homeless deaf man.

In a damning report, the Local Government Ombudsman said the authority "acted unreasonably" and had "repeatedly failed" the man by discriminating against him because of his disability.

The man, given the fake name of 'Mr Bennett' to protect his identity, first came to the council for help in July 2006.

But in the months that followed the authority failed to provide him with an interpreter on two occasions, failed to provide a textphone so he could communicate with staff at the council's Housing Advice Centre, and unfairly delayed his housing application.

The council also "unreasonably delayed" its promise to provide training for staff on disability awareness by 12 months, and broke the law by failing to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

The Ombudsman said Mr Bennett had "understandably" suffered "distress, confusion and outrage" caused by the council's behaviour.

Mr Bennett has now received an apology and been given £1,250 in compensation.

The authority originally offered him £750 but increased the amount when urged to do so by the Ombudsman.

According to the report, administrative errors meant Mr Bennett was forced to live in temporary accommodation let on an unstable nightly basis.

He was also sent letters demanding he telephone the council. Staff had failed to read his paperwork which clearly stated he was profoundly deaf and only able to communicate by sign language.

One of the letters threatened that if he failed to phone council staff then his application for housing "may be jeopardised”.

And despite complaints from Mr Bennett the authority still failed to act.

It was only when the Ombudsman intervened he was finally able to be permanently housed in August 2008 - “nearly two years after he would have been able to obtain such accommodation had the council processed his application properly,” according to the report.

A council spokeswoman said the authority had taken all the Ombudsman’s recommendations on board, introducing new training on disability awareness for staff and improving facilities for deaf people and those without speech.

Simon Barry, the council’s director of Community Services, said: "The council aims to provide a good and fair service to all residents, and we know that some people need extra help and support to access our services. In this case that clearly did not happen, and we have apologised to Mr Bennett.

"Since this case came to light, we have taken several steps to make the service more accessible, including a new texting service and deaf awareness training for all frontline staff.”