Public and Private Realms of the Administrative Justice System

Applicants who need urgent housing assistance from local government in England hope to gain the benefit for which they have applied. Should they fail to secure assistance or actual temporary accommodation, effective dispute processes would need to be in place within the administrative justice system. Yet, what would effective dispute management mechanisms look like to homeless applicants who might be experiencing ‘applicant fatigue’? This article examines the situation of the homeless applicant, aspects of whose private life is being processed by a public administrative and legal system, and considers the measures that need to be in place for homeless applicants to be able to access the full benefits of the non-legal and legal mechanisms. Keywords: homelessness; complaints; reviews; applicant fatigue; applicant–administrator relationship