Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (25 011 195)
Category : Adult care services > Disabled facilities grants
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 19 Jan 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a Disabled Facilities Grant. There is insufficient evidence of fault in the way the Council made its decision.
The complaint
- Mr X complains the Council did not approve a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to install an outdoor tap at his property.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X’s home does not have an outside tap. Mr X has a medical condition which makes it hard for him to bring water from inside his home outside to water his garden. Mr X applied to the Council for a DGF to install an outside tap.
- The Council did not approve the DFG. It explained the medical evidence does not show an outdoor tap is a necessary. The Council also explained the works were not reasonable or practical.
- The Ombudsman is not an appeal body. This means we do not take a second look at a decision to decide if it was wrong. Instead, we look at the processes an organisation followed to make its decision. If we consider it followed those processes correctly, we cannot question whether the decision was right or wrong, regardless of whether someone disagrees with the decision the organisation made.
- There is insufficient evidence of fault in the way the Council made their decision not to approve the DFG.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman