Eastbourne Borough Council (21 017 730)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 31-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about housing benefit overpayment where the complainant was notified in 2018.

East Cambridgeshire District Council (21 017 378)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 28-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council did not respond appropriately to reports made by the complainant about her tenant. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

London Borough of Haringey (21 016 151)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 27-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a Discretionary Housing Payment because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

London Borough of Wandsworth (21 018 274)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 24-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to recover housing benefit it had overpaid. This is because it is not unreasonable to expect the complainant to have used his right of appeal.

London Borough of Barnet (21 017 894)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 24-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council handled a housing benefit appeal. The Council has already investigated and provided a remedy where it identified fault and we would not achieve a different outcome.

London Borough of Hackney (21 006 884)

Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 23-Mar-2022

Summary: Mr B complained about the way the Council dealt with his claims for housing benefit and council tax reduction. We found the Council delayed for a year in revising Mr B’s claims once he had provided the necessary information. While the delay (due to the cyber-attack in October 2020) was largely outside the Council’s control, it was service failure which caused Mr B financial hardship and distress. The Council has agreed to pay Mr B £200.

Northumberland County Council (21 017 475)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 22-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the suspension of the complainant’s housing benefit. Ms G has a right to appeal against this decision at the Social Security Appeal Tribunal.

East Lindsey District Council (21 017 379)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 21-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the so-called ‘bedroom tax’ because the complainant can use her review and appeal rights.

London Borough of Bromley (21 011 401)

Statement Not upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 15-Mar-2022

Summary: Mrs C complains about how the Council handled her housing benefit. She says she did not receive letters about changes to her housing benefit award which led to her being in arrears, and some of her housing benefit was allocated towards a property she had already vacated. We have discontinued this investigation as the Council has already resolved the matter the Ombudsman is able to investigate.

London Borough of Hounslow (21 015 664)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Housing benefit and council tax benefit 07-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council calculated the complainant’s housing benefit and raised an overpayment. This is because the complainant can use her review and appeal rights.