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.

London Borough of Hillingdon (20 012 049)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 31-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr Q’s complaint about the Council’s refusal to give him small business rates relief for premises he bought in 2020. The Magistrates’ Court is better placed to decide whether Mr Q is liable for business rates for the premises.

Cotswold District Council (20 010 279)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Covid-19 29-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse his application for a grant for small businesses affected by COVID-19. This is because there is no evidence of fault in the way the Council made its decision.

Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council (20 010 792)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council tax 29-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council has handled the complainant’s council tax. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Birmingham City Council (20 011 065)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council tax 29-Mar-2021

Summary: Ms X complains that the Council seeks to recover an amount of council tax support. We will not investigate this complaint because it can be appealed to a Valuation Tribunal.

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.

South Staffordshire District Council (20 009 299)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council tax 26-Mar-2021

Summary: Ms X complained the Council had failed to provide her joint tenant, Mr Y, with the right amount of council tax support. She said this had caused her stress and ill health. We will not investigate this complaint as it is reasonable to expect Mr Y to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.

Bath and North East Somerset Council (20 012 114)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Council tax 26-Mar-2021

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about how the Council collected council tax from her and how it dealt with her complaint about legal proceedings. The complaint concerns matters which have been to Court, which means we cannot investigate it.

Leicester City Council (20 004 919)

Statement Not upheld Council tax 25-Mar-2021

Summary: Mr X complains that the Council refused to refund money he paid to enforcement agents with respect to an alleged council tax debt. I have stopped investigating this complaint. The Council offered to refund the money and so no further action by the Ombudsman is needed.

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.