Archive has 118 results
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London Borough of Haringey (19 018 618)
Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 31-Mar-2021
Summary: Mr X complained the Council wrongly demanded money in November 2019 for a housing benefit overpayment he had already paid. The information provided shows that deductions from Mr X’s salary in 2014 were council tax payments. The Council’s delay for five years in taking recovery action is fault and the Council should apologise for this.
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Birmingham City Council (20 012 683)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 29-Mar-2021
Summary: Mr X complains about delay by the Council in recovering an overpayment of housing benefit. We will not investigate this complaint because the matter is out of time, he had a right of appeal to a tribunal and the matter has been remedied.
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London Borough of Haringey (19 012 894)
Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 25-Mar-2021
Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council handled housing benefit payments for the tenancy of a property where his mother lived before she moved into a care home. He considered the failings meant there was an overpayment of benefit. There was fault by the Council which caused injustice to Mr X. It will apologise to him and make a payment.
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Thanet District Council (20 010 438)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 25-Mar-2021
Summary: Mr X complained about his social housing landlord’s actions in response to a fire at his home in 2019. We cannot investigate his complaint about a social housing landlord because it is outside our jurisdiction. We will not exercise discretion to consider the reasonableness of the temporary accommodation offered because it was more than 12 months ago, and he could have asked for a review and a court appeal at the time.
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Cheshire West & Chester Council (20 012 338)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 24-Mar-2021
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint that the Council failed to deal properly with her housing benefit claim and homelessness in 2018. Ms X complains late and outside the permitted period of 12 months. She could reasonably have used her right of appeal, to the social security tribunal, against the Council’s benefit decisions.
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London Borough of Redbridge (20 011 199)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 23-Mar-2021
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to pay housing benefit to the complainant who is a landlord. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
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Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (20 011 371)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 23-Mar-2021
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to award a Discretionary Housing Payment to the complainant. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
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London Borough of Ealing (20 004 695)
Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 23-Mar-2021
Summary: Mrs X complained the Council issued her with an invoice for overpayment of housing benefit, nearly two years after she stopped receiving housing benefit. Mrs X disputed the overpayment amount of £3266 which was accrued between 2013 and 2016. The Council was at fault for the delay in issuing the final invoice. It has already apologised for this which is a suitable remedy for the distress it caused. Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s general administration of the overpayments between 2013 and 2016 is late and it was reasonable for Mrs X to have used her right of appeal to the tribunal at the time.
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London Borough of Ealing (20 006 733)
Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 18-Mar-2021
Summary: Mrs B has raised a complaint with respect to the suspension and termination of her housing benefit by the Council. Further, she alleges the Council has incorrectly billed her in respect of a housing benefit overpayment. With regards to the first issue, this part of the complaint is late and there is no good reason to exercise discretion. Moreover, matters concerning housing benefit overpayments carry a right of appeal to the First-Tier Tribunal. The Ombudsman does not therefore have jurisdiction to investigate Mrs B’s complaints.
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Luton Borough Council (20 001 496)
Statement Not upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 18-Mar-2021
Summary: Mr X complains the Council unfairly sought recovery of overpaid housing benefit from him through the courts. He says the overpayment occurred because of errors made by the Council. He also complains the Council did not give him a reasonable amount of time to make payment. We find no fault in this matter and have concluded our investigation.