Fenland District Council (19 016 933)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council tax 28-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr and Mrs B complain about the failure of the Council and its enforcement agents to notify Mr B that their outstanding council tax debt had not been paid by Mrs B. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.

Dacorum Borough Council (19 006 941)

Statement Not upheld Council tax 28-Feb-2020

Summary: Miss F complains the Council enforced a council tax debt to an address she had not given it. And, as a result, she incurred costs that were avoidable. The Ombudsman’s decision is the Council acted in good faith in using information a third party gave it. Miss F had not given it an alternative address. So we do not uphold the complaint.

Worthing Borough Council (19 017 392)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council tax 27-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint about a council tax bill for a property he owns. This is because Mr X has appealed to the Valuation Tribunal and so the complaint is outside our jurisdiction.

East Suffolk Council (19 017 496)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council tax 27-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr X complains about the way the Council has dealt with his Council tax liability. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because this is a matter for the Information Commissioner’s Office and the matter is settled.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (19 008 701)

Statement Not upheld Council tax 27-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr B complains that the Council referred his council tax arrears to enforcement agents despite a payment arrangement having been agreed. The Ombudsman finds no fault on the Council’s part. It was entitled to refer the arrears to enforcement agents as Mr B did not keep up with the payment arrangement.

Lincoln City Council (19 009 667)

Statement Not upheld Council tax support 26-Feb-2020

Summary: Miss X complains the Council should not have cancelled Mr Y’s benefits, it gave him incorrect advice and added unreasonable enforcement fees to Mr Y’s debt. We found the Council was not at fault.

Blackburn with Darwen Council (19 010 707)

Statement Not upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 26-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr X complains the Council was at fault in the way it dealt with his applications for a Discretionary Housing Payment. The Ombudsman has found no evidence of fault in the way the Council considered these matters.

Leicester City Council (19 015 840)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 26-Feb-2020

Summary: Mrs X complains on behalf of her son that the Council unreasonably suspended, then ended his entitlement to housing benefit. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because there was a right of appeal to a tribunal and the matter is out of time.

Bristol City Council (19 017 478)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council tax 26-Feb-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs B’s complaint that the Council took council tax recovery action against her even though she is not liable to pay the bill. This is because this Council has now changed its decision on Mrs B’s council tax liability so it is unlikely an investigation would lead to a significantly different outcome.

Sheffield City Council (19 007 744)

Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 26-Feb-2020

Summary: There were faults in the way the Council handled Miss B’s housing benefit claim. The Council should apologise and make a payment to her.