Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax reduction delay because there is insufficient injustice to warrant investigation. He also has a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains that the Council delayed notifying him that his savings meant that no Council tax reduction was applicable.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The law says we cannot normally investigate a complaint when someone has a right of appeal, reference or review to a tribunal about the same matter. However, we may decide to investigate if we consider it would be unreasonable to expect the person to use this right. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(6)(a), as amended)
3. The Valuation Tribunal deals with appeals against decisions on council tax liability and council tax support or reduction.
4. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement..

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. Mr X says that he supplied the Council with bank statements on 30 May 2025 in support of his Council tax reduction application. He says that the Council told him on 17 July that his savings were too high for a Council tax reduction to be paid. His existing Council tax reduction was cancelled and backdated to 8 April.
8. He says that the rules are confusing and the delay caused him stress and upset. He made a request for a discretionary Council tax reduction.
9. Any dispute about entitlement to Council tax reduction or a discretionary payment can be appealed to a Valuation Tribunal. The tribunal is an independent body which can determine any dispute about such decisions. I see no reason why an appeal could not be made in this case and so the complaint is out of jurisdiction.
10. I appreciate that the delay in notifying him of the decision to cancel his Council tax reduction caused him upset. The decision would have affected his budgeting, but, as he had savings for this relatively short period, I am not persuaded that any financial compensation is appropriate.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council injustice to warrant investigation and there is a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman