Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about charges added to Miss X’s council tax account as there is insufficient evidence of Council fault causing a significant injustice to Miss X.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about charges added to her council tax account after she had problems making online payments. Miss X considers she should not have to pay these.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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 any fault has not caused significant injustice to the person who complained (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. The Council sent reminder notices to Miss X in April and May 2021 as she did not pay her council tax instalments in full and on the required date. The Council sent Miss X a final notice in June 2021, as the account had not been brought up to date. This resulted in the instalment plan being cancelled. The Council issued Miss X with a summons to court for the remaining amount owed on the account. It says Miss X made no contact and so the case progressed to court where the Council was awarded a liability order and £79.50 costs were added to the account.
6. In her complaint to the Council, Miss X describes problems she had using the Council’s online payment system, to make payments to her council tax account. While I recognise that this caused Miss X frustration, it was still necessary for Miss X to make payments in accordance with her instalment plan, to avoid recovery action by the Council. As Miss X did not do this, the Council took the action it is entitled to, and I have not seen evidence of fault in respect of this. As such, there are not grounds for us to investigate this complaint.
7. The frustration and annoyance Miss X felt at not being able to submit online payments is not sufficient injustice of itself to justify our investigating.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because any Council fault did not cause Miss X sufficient injustice to warrant our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman