Leicester City Council (19 004 649)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 08-Aug-2019

Summary: Mr X complains that the Council failed to backdate his housing benefit. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because Mr X had a right of appeal to a tribunal against any decision to refuse backdating. The matter is also out of time.

London Borough of Ealing (19 004 458)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 07-Aug-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Mrs B’s complaint about the way the Council has dealt with her housing benefit claim. This is because she has told us she has used her right of appeal to the First Tier Tribunal.

Carlisle City Council (19 004 423)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 07-Aug-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about a housing benefit overpayment. This is because the Council has decided Mr X does not have to repay the money. In addition, the complainant could have appealed to the tribunal.

Sheffield City Council (18 019 609)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 07-Aug-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about remarks made by the Council in a submission to the Valuation Tribunal. It is unlikely the Ombudsman would find fault by the Council had caused the complainant injustice that would justify his involvement.

Kingston upon Hull City Council (19 003 755)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 06-Aug-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint that the Council did not give the complainant proper advice about the consequences of claiming Universal Credit. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

London Borough of Lambeth (19 004 412)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 05-Aug-2019

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to cover all the elements of his rent in its housing benefit calculation. He also complains that it ended his claim when he informed it of a change in his savings level. The Ombudsman should not investigate this complaint. This is because it was reasonable for him to appeal to the independent benefits tribunal which is the proper authority to consider appeals against housing benefit decisions.

Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (19 003 765)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 05-Aug-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to end the complainant’s housing benefit and council tax reduction. This is because the Council is currently reviewing the case and the complainant will be able to appeal to the tribunal.

Norwich City Council (18 015 000)

Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 02-Aug-2019

Summary: Mr B complains about the way the Council dealt with a housing benefit overpayment. The Ombudsman finds the Council was at fault in failing to send a letter before action before issuing a direct earnings attachment to Mr B’s employer. It was also at fault in deleting recordings of telephone conversations which were the subject of a complaint by Mr B. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr B and make a payment to him.

London Borough of Barnet (19 003 972)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 01-Aug-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss B’s complaint that the Council wrongly applied a cap to her housing benefit. This is because it was reasonable to expect Miss B to use her right to seek a review or appeal when she received the Council’s decision in September 2018.

City of Wolverhampton Council (19 004 172)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 30-Jul-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Mr B’s complaint about a housing benefit overpayment and should not investigate about his subject access request. This is because Mr B has used his right of appeal against the Council’s housing benefit decision and we would expect him to refer his subject access request problem to the Information Commissioner’s Office.