An east London council paid out more than half a million pounds in compensation to residents last year amid a record number of complaints. In an annual report shared at a scrutiny meeting on Monday, Hackney Council revealed its total complaints over services had doubled since the Covid-19 pandemic particularly around housing. Since January 2021, the number of Stage 1 complaints to the housing service nearly trebled to more than 3,000 by January 2025. Mayor of Hackney Caroline Woodley assured members the council was investing more money in the borough's housing stock to stem the steep increase including by replacing hundreds of faulty lifts across its estates.