What we can't look at

We cannot usually question what a council or care provider has done simply because you do not agree with it. There must be some fault by the body.

There are also some things we may not investigate because there is a more appropriate body to deal with your complaint, or because we don’t have the legal power to do so. The law is complex and this is not a complete list, but we cannot investigate:

• Something you knew about more than 12 months before your complaint was made to the Ombudsman, unless there is good reason for the delay.
• Something you could appeal about to a tribunal (such as the Housing Benefit Appeals Service) or a government minister (such as a planning appeal) or go to court about, unless we think there are good reasons why you should not be expected to do so.
• Something about which you have already appealed to a tribunal or a government minister or have taken court action against the council.
• Something affecting all or most of the people living in a council’s area, such as a complaint that the council has wasted public money.
• Court proceedings, including:
  • evidence given to the court, or
  • actions and decisions by the council or care provider and court staff in those proceedings.
• Personnel matters (about your employment, including pay, pensions or dismissal; or about applications for employment).
• Some internal management of schools and colleges (including conduct, discipline and teaching – but we can look at some aspects of the provision required by a child’s statement of special educational needs). Click here to read more about school complaints.
• Some commercial or contractual matters with a council.

If you are in doubt about whether we can look at your complaint, ring the LGO Advice Team on 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602 1983. (Calls to 03 numbers will cost no more than calls to national geographic numbers (starting 01or 02) from both mobiles and landlines, and will be included as part of any inclusive call minutes or discount schemes in the same way as geographic calls. Please note that calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes.)

Date Updated: 21/10/11