Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to reinstate the complainant’s council tax support. This is because the complainant is satisfied with the response she has had from the Council.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I shall refer to as Mrs X, complains that the Council has not reinstated her council tax support following the outcome of her appeal about housing benefit overpayments.

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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 or continue with an investigation if we believe the complainant is satisfied with the Council’s response. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I have read Mrs X’s complaint and her email asking for her complaint to be closed as she has had a satisfactory response from the Council.

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What I found

4. Mrs X complained the Council did not reinstate her council tax support after the outcome of her appeal about housing benefit overpayments. Since complaining to the Ombudsman, Mrs X says the Council has provided a satisfactory response to her complaint and therefore she does not wish to pursue the matter further.

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Final decision

5. I will not investigate this complaint because Mrs X has had a satisfactory outcome from the Council and asked for her complaint to be closed.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman