Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an invoice the Council sent for home care charges. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains the Council sent her an invoice for home care charges although she stopped carers from attending her home to provide care. Mrs X said she was not aware she needed to tell the Council she had stopped the care. Mrs X says she has now received an invoice for care charges although she moved to a residential care home in July 2025. Mrs X wants the Council to cancel the care charges.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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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. Mrs X received care at home from a care provider arranged by the Council. Mrs X says she cancelled the care by asking the care workers not to attend. She said she was not aware she needed to inform the Council. Mrs X received an invoice for the care but was unhappy with the amount she was expected to pay.
6. The Council investigated the matter following a complaint from Mrs X in December 2025. It said it had reviewed the time sheets to check the care provided and reviewed the care providers cancellation policy. The Council said some planned care was cancelled in line with the cancellation policy and not charged for or included in the invoice. It found some planned care went ahead and remained chargeable. It confirmed the amount Mrs X owed which remained payable.
7. We will not investigate this complaint as there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council. Mrs X received some homecare and from the evidence available it suggests the charges remain payable. We cannot achieve the outcome Mrs X wants.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman