Rutland County Council (25 017 117)
Category : Benefits and tax > Council tax support
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 10 Dec 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax support because an appeal has been made to the Valuation Tribunal.
The complaint
- Ms X complains that the Council has unreasonably refused to award Council tax support.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We cannot investigate a complaint if someone has appealed to a tribunal about the same matter. We also cannot investigate a complaint if in doing so we would overlap with the role of a tribunal to decide something which has been or could have been referred to it to resolve using its own powers. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(6)(a), as amended)
- The Valuation Tribunal deals with appeals against decisions on council tax liability and council tax support or reduction.
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Ms X says that she used to receive Council tax support but this was altered in 2025 so that she then had to pay an increase in Council tax.
- Ms X says that she has now appealed to a Valuation Tribunal about this decision.
- The Ombudsman cannot investigate a complaint where an appeal to a Valuation Tribunal has been used and so the complaint is out of jurisdiction.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because Ms X has appealed to a Valuation Tribunal.
Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman