Summary: We will not investigate X’s complaint about a financial assessment to decide how much their mother should pay towards her care costs. This is because X’s complaint is made late.

The complaint

1. X complains about how the Council carried out a financial assessment in 2023, to determine if X’s mother should pay for her care. X wants the Council to carry out a new assessment.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. The Council carried out an assessment in 2023 to determine how much X’s mother should pay for her care. X appealed the outcome of the assessment at the time. She wants the Council to carry out a new assessment.
6. I will not investigate X’s complaint because it is made late. Whilst I acknowledge that X has been caring for their mother during this difficult period, I do not consider that she was prevented from approaching the Ombudsman before now.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate X’s complaint because it is made late. I see no good reason why X could not have complained to the Ombudsman sooner.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman