Enfield Council paid out at least £7,600 to residents to make up for its failings during the previous financial year.

One of the largest payouts – £3,620 – went to a disabled man who said he felt “distressed, anxious, and disgusted with the council” after delays adapting his home meant he was unable to wash properly for two years.

Other payments included more than £2,600 to make up for failings when dealing with a homelessness application and £300 over mistakes made when invoicing a man for social care.

The overall figure could be significantly higher, as in one case the council and clinical commissioning group were ordered to reimburse care home fees of almost £29,200 to one resident who was entitled to have the full costs covered. It is unclear how much the council paid towards the reimbursement.

The information was published by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, which investigates complaints against councils. It covers the period from April 1, 2019 to March 1, 2020 and is for the 19 upheld decisions published by the Ombudsman. Some decisions are not published, to maintain confidentiality.

It also reveals 61 per cent of complaints about Enfield Council were upheld, compared to an average of 70 per cent in similar authorities. The Ombudsman upholds complaints when it finds councils are at fault.

The council followed the Ombudsman’s recommendations in all cases. In a fifth of cases, it had already provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman – higher than the 15 per cent figure for similar authorities.

More information about the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is available at: https://www.lgo.org.uk/