Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a credit on Mr X’s council tax demand notice for the financial year 2021/22. This is because an investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about a credit on his council tax demand notice for the financial year 2021/22. He says he does not understand why the Council used the start date of 15 March 2021 for this credit amount.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Ombudsman investigates 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 with an investigation if we decide further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

5. The Council has explained why it applied a £6.55 credit to Mr X’s council tax demand for the financial year 2021/22. The Council told Mr X it was alerted by the Department of Work and Pensions of a change in his daughter’s income. The Council recalculated Mr X’s council tax reduction (CTR) claim based on this new information.
6. This resulted in an increase in the amount of CTR Mr X was entitled to. The Council applied this increase from 15 March 2021, resulting in Mr X benefitting from the increase for 17 days. This gave the credit of £6.55 which is shown on Mr X’s council tax demand notice.
7. Further investigation is not justified as it would not lead to a different outcome. This is because the Council has provided Mr X with a full explanation of how it calculated this credit amount. While I acknowledge Mr X says he does not understand why the Council has used the start date of 15 March 2021, he has not provided any evidence to suggest this start date is incorrect. An investigation by us would therefore not lead to different findings.
8. It is open to Mr X to provide the Council with evidence if he believes the Council was wrong to use the start date of 15 March 2021.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because an investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman