LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint about her council tax bill because she has appealed to the Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: Miss D complains the Council incorrectly assessed her housing need. I have not found evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax liability because it relates to a body out of jurisdiction there is ultimately a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about a housing benefit claim because the complainant appealed to the tribunal.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint that the Council incorrect stopped her council tax direct debit, which resulted in her account falling into arrears. This is because the claimed fault has not caused any significant injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s use of enforcement agents to recover unpaid council tax. We cannot investigate matters which have bene subject to court proceedings. We will not investigate the Council billing Mrs X at an old address because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council issued the complainant a penalty charge notice for an alleged parking contravention. This is because the Council promptly cancelled the penalty charge notice and later apologised to the complainant. There is insufficient evidence of the complainant suffering a significant enough injustice to warrant our involvement. Moreover, further investigation of the issues is unlikely to result in a different outcome.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council responded to a complaint. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and we cannot obtain the outcome the complainant would like.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council carrying out its homeless prevention duty since 2023. There is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council which would warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s Environmental Health Team’s response to Mr X’s report of a repair issue at his housing association property. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: Mr X complained about the alleged failure of the Council to treat his complaint about a parking ticket properly. We consider the Council was at fault. Mr X says this caused him an injustice because he was unable to dispute what he considered to be an unfair fine. We have made recommendations to acknowledge the injustice caused.

Summary: Ms D complained the Council delayed in passing an appeal about a housing benefit overpayment to a tribunal. We upheld the complaint. We found there were potential grounds to delay the appeal. But this was a decision for the tribunal service to take, not the Council. Consequently, the Council’s actions caused Ms D uncertainty. The Council has accepted these findings and at the end of this statement we set out the action it agreed to remedy this injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate how the Council applied its council tax reduction scheme. That is because decisions about council tax reduction are dealt with through the Valuations Tribunal.

Summary: Mr B says the Council did not give him full information about funding for a disabled facilities grant and refused to award the grant when he began the works even though they had been incorrectly informed and the works had not been completed. There is no fault in how the Council handled the grant application. Incorrect information was included in the Council’s responses to the complaint which did not affect the overall decision on the case. A reminder to officers is satisfactory remedy.

Summary: Mrs C says the Council failed to enforce cemetery rules resulting in her exhuming her relatives and incurring around £5000 in costs. The Ombudsman appreciates this is a sensitive matter but has discontinued the investigation. He cannot achieve the outcome sought by Mrs C. She can use the court service for the financial remedy she is seeking.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council delayed in dealing with his concern about misuse of parking permits on his street and how it communicated with him. The Council has taken appropriate action by reviewing the permits, withdrawing a permit from a neighbour not entitled, and writing to that address. The Council has written to Mr X to apologise/acknowledge the time and trouble and frustrations he has had pursuing the matter.

Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about damage caused to the complainant’s property by a Council employee. This is because it is reasonable to expect the complainant to go to court to determine any liability owed by the Council.