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Please note: our decisions are published six weeks after they are issued to councils, care providers and the person who has made the complaint. The cases below reflect the caselaw and guidance available at the time of issue and the individual circumstances of each case.
London Borough of Hillingdon (22 013 850)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about house numbering because he can appeal to a Valuation Tribunal or obtain a remedy by making a formal application to the Council.
Pendle Borough Council (22 014 265)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Mr X’s council tax bill. It is reasonable for him to ask the Valuation Tribunal to consider an out-of-time appeal against the Council’s decision to charge council tax for his uninhabitable property from 2019 to 2022.
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (22 004 512)
Summary: Mr D complained the Council delayed processing his Housing Benefit application and telling him he needed to apply to the DWP for support with housing costs. We found the Council at fault for failing to process Mr D’s application within its targeted timescales and it missed opportunities to inform him to instead apply for housing costs with the DWP. The Council agreed to apologise and make payment to Mr D to acknowledge the distress and loss of some of the housing support this caused.
Gedling Borough Council (22 012 064)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax liability because he could appeal to a tribunal.
London Borough of Barnet (22 012 898)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council asked the complainant to verify some details, and provide information, in relation to his housing benefit claim. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. In addition, there are appeal rights the complainant could use.
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (22 012 955)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about payments of Council tax as there is no evidence of fault by the Council causing significant injustice to warrant investigation.
West Northamptonshire Council (22 011 573)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s application of the ‘bedroom tax’. That is because there is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s decision to classify Miss X’s third room as a bedroom.
Winchester City Council (22 013 694)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about liability for council tax as it was reasonable to expect the complainant to complain to the Valuation Tribunal.
Birmingham City Council (22 013 698)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to create an ‘overpayment’ of Housing Benefit. This is because it was reasonable to expect the complainant to appeal to the specialist Housing Benefit tribunal.
Leeds City Council (22 013 891)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to take enforcement action against Mr X to recoup Council tax arrears. This is because an investigation would not lead to a different outcome for Mr X.
Birmingham City Council (22 013 101)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council administered a housing benefit review. This is because the Council has provided a satisfactory response and there is not enough remaining injustice to require an investigation.
Derby City Council (22 013 405)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council wrongly advised Miss X of her council tax liability as we are satisfied with the resolution provided by the Council.
London Borough of Hillingdon (22 013 489)
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about liability for council tax because the complainant has appealed to the Valuation Tribunal.
Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (22 007 881)
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the payment of housing benefit to tenants as the matter has been appealed to a tribunal and he does not represent the claimants.
London Borough of Waltham Forest (22 000 390)
Summary: Mrs X complains the Council mistakenly closed her council tax account. Mrs X says she informed the Council she still lived at the property, but it failed to act on the information she provided it. We have concluded our investigation having made a finding of fault by the Council. Although the Council’s decision to close Mrs X’s account was substantiated, it took a significantly long time to reopen it, which caused an injustice to Mrs X. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice.
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