Summary: Mr B complains about the process the Council followed in renewing his blue badge when he moved between county councils. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint as there is insufficient evidence of fault or injustice caused to Mr B to warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. The complaint, who I refer to as Mr B, says the Council was at fault in failing to seek information from his previous council about his blue badge application when this would have been the quickest and easiest route to obtain the information the Council needed to assess his current application. This caused him frustration and physically exacerbated his medical condition.

Back to top

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 or continue with an investigation if we believe:

• it is unlikely we would find fault, or
• the fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• the injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• it is unlikely we could add to any previous investigation by the Council, or
• it is unlikely further investigation will lead to a different outcome, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

3. In considering the complaint I spoke to Mr B and reviewed the information he and the Council provided.

Back to top

What I found

4. Mr B moved counties and applied to renew his blue badge with the Council. He completed the application form and the Council sought some further information from him to support his application. The Council renewed Mr B’s badge.
5. Dissatisfied with the way the Council had dealt with his renewal application, and that it had not sought information directly from the council where he had previously lived, Mr B complained to the Council.
6. In responding to his complaint, the Council addressed the matters he had raised and explained it had followed national government guidance and outlined its responsibilities under the data protection legislation.
7. The Council did not uphold Mr B’s complaint because it concluded its team had been required to confirm his continuing eligibility to the badge and that the steps it had taken had been reasonable.

Assessment

8. While I understand Mr B may remain dissatisfied with the service he received and the Council’s response to his complaint, there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council or injustice caused to him to warrant an investigation by the Ombudsman.

Back to top

Final decision

9. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault or injustice caused to Mr B to warrant an investigation.

Investigator’s final decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman