Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s actions related to outstanding care charges for her late relative Ms Y, for care provided before her death in 2022. The complaint is late and there are no good reasons to investigate now.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council is wrongly pursuing her for outstanding care charges for care provided to her relative, Ms Y, before her death in December 2022. She says this matter is causing her distress and ill health. She wants the Council to cancel the charges.

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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 and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Ms X says the Council first invoiced her for the outstanding care charges in October 2023. She has told us she disagreed with the charges at the time and pursued the matter with the Council for two years, before bringing her complaint to us in October 2025.
6. We will not investigate this complaint because it is late. Ms X was aware of the charges in October 2023. If she was dissatisfied at that time, I can see no good reason why she could not have approached us sooner.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because it is late and there is no good reason to investigate now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman