Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a direct payment. We are unlikely to achieve an outcome which would justify an investigation into the fault complained of.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council made an error in how it dealt with timesheets submitted for payment of a personal assistant by direct payment.
2. The Council has explained the reasons the issue occurred and apologised.
3. Mr X is seeking further explanation, further apologies and compensation.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. 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:

• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

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

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. Mr X’s complaint relates to one set of timesheets. He complained the payment was delayed, and the Council had to be chased to make payment.
8. The Council explained the timesheet had included an incorrect date, for the following month, and was therefore paid in accordance with that date.
9. While Mr X has said there was a further timesheet submitted with correct dates, it is clear that there has been some confusion which is a one off incident.
10. There is no evidence that there is a systematic issue, and the Council has apologised.
11. We are unlikely to achieve an outcome which would justify an investigation into this matter.
12. I note Mr X also complained about the Council’s complaint handling. We do not investigate complaint handling where we are not carrying out an investigation into the substantive issue.

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Final decision

13. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we are unlikely to achieve a worthwhile outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman