Lewes District Council (23 004 623)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax payments because the complaint has been remedied.
The complaint
- Mr X complains of delay by the Council in setting up his Council tax account.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions a council has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X says that his newly built house required a banding from the Valuation Office Agency in order to set up his Council tax account. The Council accept that they failed to create this account for a year, leaving significant arrears.
- The Council apologised and offered £200 compensation for his time and trouble in making his complaint. The Council also provided a longer time period for Mr X to pay the arrears.
- I am satisfied with the Council’s offer of remedy. Mr X was aware that he had to pay Council tax for the period and could have set aside money for this eventuality. The £200 (and extended time for payment) reasonably reflects the time and trouble he was put to in order to resolve the matter.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman