The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We cannot investigate Miss Y’s complaint about the Council’s refusal to change her rent due date and it sending her rent arrears letters. We cannot investigate complaints about the management of social housing by a council acting as a social landlord.
The complaint
Miss Y complains the Council has refused to change her rent due date to align with her Universal Credit payments and is sending her rent arrears letters each month. She says this is a waste of the Council’s money. She wants the Council to align her rent due date with her Universal Credit and stop sending the arrears letters.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
We cannot investigate complaints about the provision or management of social housing by a council acting as a registered social housing provider. (Local Government Act 1974, paragraph 5A schedule 5, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council, and I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Miss Y is a council tenant. Her complaint is about the Council’s management of her rent collection in its role as a social landlord. We cannot investigate complaints about the management of social housing by a council acting as a social landlord.
Final decision
We cannot investigate Miss Y’s complaint because it is about the management of social housing by the Council as a social landlord.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman