Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council. This is because the Council has offered Mr B a reasonable explanation for closing his case and has offered him further information on how to request support in future.

The complaint

1. Mr B complains that social workers from the Council did not provide him with the help he needed to claim benefits. He says that as a result, there was a delay in him getting the benefits he should have had.

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The Ombudsmen’s role and powers

2. The Ombudsmen provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. They may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if they believe:

• it is unlikely they could add to any previous investigation by the bodies, or
• they cannot achieve the outcome someone wants (Health Service Commissioners Act 1993, section 3(2) and Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered written information provided by Mr B, including correspondence between Mr B and the Council. I also spoke to Mr B about his complaint.
4. I also considered Mr B’s comments on a draft version of this decision.

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What I found

5. Mr B complained that social workers from the Council did not support him in his application for Universal Credit (UC) and Personal Independence Payments (PIP). The Council said that the social workers had helped Mr B make a call to the Department of Work and Pensions about the benefits. The Council said social workers supported Mr B to ask for a letter from the DWP explaining why his application had been declined. The social workers told him that once he received the DWP letter, he should contact the social work team again and they would help him with making a formal appeal.
6. About a month after the appointment, the social work team contacted Mr B to offer further assistance with benefits paperwork as they had discussed. However, the Council said it was recorded that Mr B told the social work team he did not need their help any longer as he was getting support from the CAB at that time.
7. The Council told Mr B that as a result, they would close down the social work side of his case. The social work team sent Mr B some information on asking for a re‑referral to their service should he need it in future.
8. I recognise that Mr B feels the Council did not give him the support he needed following his appointment. However, as the Council says its records state he no longer wanted its support at that time, we would be unlikely to find fault with its decision to close Mr B’s case at that point. The Council offered Mr B further support in future should he need it, and it is unlikely the Ombudsman could add to this.

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Final decision

9. The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr B’s complaint against the Council for the reasons set out above.

Investigator’s final decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman