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Please note: our decisions are published three months 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 Lambeth (19 009 350)
Summary: Ms X complained about the Council’s refusal to reconsider her application for council tax support which she made in error in 2018. The Ombudsman should not exercise his discretion to investigate this complaint which was received outside the normal 12-month period for considering complaints.
Trafford Council (19 017 677)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint that the Council will not reduce the repayment rate for council tax arrears and a housing benefit overpayment. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
Norwich City Council (19 017 842)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms B’s complaint about housing benefit and council tax support. This is because it would have been reasonable for Ms B to have used her appeal rights.
Somerset West and Taunton Council (19 018 464)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint that the complainant’s council tax is too high. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
London Borough of Barnet (19 018 512)
Summary: The Ombudsman should not pursue this complaint about council tax recovery action. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
Harborough District Council (19 019 333)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about a council tax bill. This is because the complainant has a right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. The Ombudsman will not investigate other aspects of the complaint as there is insufficient evidence of significant injustice.
Charnwood Borough Council (19 018 692)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a council tax bill for an empty property. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault, and if Mr X disputes liability, it is reasonable for him to appeal to the tribunal.
London Borough of Croydon (19 018 630)
Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint about a housing benefit overpayment. This is because Miss X has appealed to the tribunal and so the complaint is outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction.
Salford City Council (19 013 676)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council is paying his housing benefit direct to his landlord and failed to get his landlord to deal properly with anti social behaviour. The Council has not caused Mr X injustice. It has agreed with the Ombudsman that it will act to ensure that housing benefit decision letters clearly explain rights of appeal to an independent tribunal.
London Borough of Islington (19 015 554)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council refused a council tax exemption on two flats and was wrong to say it had no discretion to do so. There is no fault by the Council and part of the complaint is outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction being made late.
Wealden District Council (19 016 434)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms X’s complaint that the Council failed to handle her housing benefit and council tax accounts properly from 2016. Much of the complaint is outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. The Council has reviewed the council tax position and agreed to refund to Ms X the costs of a court summons as a gesture of goodwill.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council (19 017 985)
Summary: Mr X complains about the Council’s enforcement of a business rates debt and Council tax. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council and disputes about liability and the amount of the bill are for the courts.
Manchester City Council (19 018 071)
Summary: Ms X complains about the way the Council has dealt with her Council tax payments and its subsequent enforcement. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council and part of the complaint is out of time.
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (19 018 135)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with the complainant’s council tax account. This is because it is unlikely he will find fault or that an investigation would add to the Council’s response.
London Borough of Waltham Forest (19 018 194)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr B’s complaint that the Council failed to act on the information he provided and delayed dealing with his council tax dispute. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
Reading Borough Council (19 019 101)
Summary: Ms X complains about the way the Council enforced a Council tax debt. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.
Salford City Council (19 006 452)
Summary: Mr B complains about the Council’s recovery of a council tax liability from a short period in 2016. There was fault by the Council which caused injustice to Mr B. The Council will apologise and make a payment to Mr B.
Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council (19 017 629)
Summary: Mr X complains that the Council refuses to backdate a Retail Rate Relief for his business despite awarding it to other businesses. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council causing him injustice.
London Borough of Croydon (19 018 280)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a reduction in his housing benefit. This is because if Mr X wants to challenge the Council’s decision it is reasonable for him to appeal to the tribunal.
Erewash Borough Council (19 018 481)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s recovery of an overpayment of housing benefit. This is because if Miss X wants to challenge the Council’s decision it is reasonable for her to appeal to the tribunal.
East Suffolk Council (19 020 487)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about how much Council Tax Reduction the complainant should receive from the Council. There is a right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal against any decision on Council Tax Reduction entitlement.
Leicester City Council (19 008 938)
Summary: Miss X complains about the way the Council has handled recovering a housing benefit overpayment from 2013. She says this has caused inconvenience, cost her time and trouble, and affected her wellbeing and mental state. The Ombudsman does not find fault with the Council.
London Borough of Bexley (19 010 618)
Summary: The Council instructed enforcement agents to recover council tax when it could not as it already had a charging order for the debt. It caused the complainant a good deal of unnecessary distress, time and trouble. The Council will apologise and write off £750 of council tax arrears.
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (19 018 404)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to apply a single person’s discount to her council tax bill. This is because if Miss X disagrees with the Council’s decision it is reasonable for her to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.
Torbay Council (19 019 773)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms B’s complaint about the Council’s decision to hold her liable for council tax. This is because if Ms B disagreed with the Council’s decision it was reasonable for her to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.
West Lancashire Borough Council (19 015 567)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about council tax matters. Further consideration of the complaint would not achieve any more for Mr B.
West Devon Borough Council (19 016 827)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about delayed billing of non-domestic rates. This is because fault by the Council has not caused significant enough personal injustice to Ms X.
Coventry City Council (19 017 878)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council handled the complainant’s council tax account. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
Sheffield City Council (19 018 063)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about problems the complainant had in closing his council tax account and getting a refund. This is because the Council has provided a satisfactory response and there is not enough injustice to require an investigation.
Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (19 018 185)
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about council tax fees. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. In addition the fees were confirmed by the court and the Ombudsman cannot question a court decision.
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