South Oxfordshire District Council (20 003 277)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 16-Sep-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this housing benefit complaint from a landlord. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and insufficient evidence of injustice.

London Borough of Lambeth (20 002 635)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 16-Sep-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council calculated the complainant’s housing benefit and council tax support. This is because the complainant could have appealed to the tribunal.

London Borough of Haringey (19 017 469)

Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 15-Sep-2020

Summary: The Council wrongly suspended Ms B’s housing benefit which caused her to fall into rent arrears. It also failed to deal with her appeal against a housing benefit decision. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Ms B, deal with her appeal and take action to prevent similar failings in future.

London Borough of Lambeth (19 014 955)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 04-Sep-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate the Council’s decision to stop the complainant’s housing benefit and council tax relief. This is because it would have been reasonable for the complainant to use her right of appeal to a tribunal about the Council’s decision.

South Lakeland District Council (20 003 091)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 02-Sep-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about a reduction to the complainant’s housing benefit for the under-occupancy charge. This is because the complainant could have appealed to the tribunal.

Royal Borough of Greenwich (20 002 579)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 01-Sep-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council underpaid him housing benefit in 2016-17. This is because it is reasonable to expect Mr X to have appealed to the tribunal and the complaint is late and there are no good reasons to consider it now.

Bromsgrove District Council (20 002 738)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 27-Aug-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about a housing benefit overpayment. This is because the complainant could have appealed to the tribunal.

Liverpool City Council (19 021 223)

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

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s delay in paying her tenant’s housing benefit direct to her after the rent account became more than 8 weeks in arrears. The Ombudsman should not investigate this complaint. This is because the Council has paid the overdue benefit, and this is a reasonable remedy to her complaint.

Lewes District Council (19 013 356)

Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 24-Aug-2020

Summary: the complainant says the Council failed to properly consider her housing benefit and council tax reduction claims or provide a remedy it had agreed. The Council says it considered both the housing benefit and Council Tax Reduction claims properly and did not offer a remedy. The Ombudsman finds the Council at fault for not considering the representations resulting in the complainant attending court causing avoidable distress and inconvenience.

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (19 021 188)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 21-Aug-2020

Summary: Ms X complained that the Council evicted her from her council tenancy in 2017 without properly considering her situation at the time. The Ombudsman cannot investigate this complaint. This is because it concerns the actions of a social housing landlord and is not within our jurisdiction. We will not consider matters which took place in 2017 because they are outside the normal 12-month period for receiving complaints.