Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the cost of calls associated with a careline alarm system. This is because there is insufficient evidence of injustice.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I refer to as Mrs X, complains that the Council is using 0844 numbers as part of its careline alarm system.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint. I refer to this as ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start an investigation if we believe the injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I read the complaint and the Council’s responses. I spoke to Mrs X after she received a draft of this decision.

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What I found

4. Mrs X has used the careline emergency alarm system for many years. She pays a quarterly charge plus call costs. When she first joined the system the Council provided the service and calls were charged at a local rate.
5. In November 2017 the Council outsourced the service to a private provider. The system used by the private provider uses 0844 numbers.
6. In 2019 Mrs X became aware of 0844 numbers appearing on her phone bill. She complained to the Council particularly in relation to costs she incurs when the system is tested. Mrs X has to pay when the system is tested and these tests attract the 0844 call costs.
7. In response the Council considered Mrs X’s phone bills and established she has incurred call costs of £15.78 since the service moved to the private provider. The Council explained that although it had told people about the move to the private provider it was not until February 2019 that it had explained that the private firm uses the more expensive 0844 numbers. It apologised. It also explained that each call was either as a result of an activation by Mrs X or for standard tests. It explained that Mrs X can move to a different careline provider if she is unhappy with the costs.

Assessment

8. The Council failed to tell people that the move to a private provider would mean that the calls, including test calls, were charged via a 0844 number rather than the cheaper local number. The Council should have made this clear so people had the option of stopping the service before the extra costs were incurred. However, I will not start an investigation for the following reasons.
9. The Council has explained why 0844 numbers are appearing on Mrs X’s bills. It has apologised for not telling her in advance and explained she can change to a different provider. Mrs X has incurred costs of nearly £16 since late 2017. She would have incurred some of these costs under the old system and a dispute about less than £20 does not represent enough injustice to warrant an investigation. In addition, the differential, as an on-going cost, between a local number and the 0844 number, does not represent enough injustice to require an investigation. Mrs X can cancel the service, or move to a different provider, if she thinks the call costs are unacceptable.
10. Mrs X wants to know why she has to pay a 0844 number for the tests. But, this is because the system has to be tested and this provider uses the 0844 number. As I have said, if Mrs X finds this system to be unsatisfactory, she can try to find a cheaper provider.

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Final decision

11. I will not start an investigation because there is insufficient evidence of injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman