Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s administration of personal data in relation to its Council Tax collection. This is because the Information Commissioner’s Office is the body best placed to deal with the complaint.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council has been at fault in its handling of personal data in relation to its Council Tax collection. He says he and others have been affected and that regulatory action should be taken to put things right.

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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 there is another body better placed to consider the complaint. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant, including the Council’s response to his complaint.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Where a complainant has a complaint about data protection and whether the relevant regulations and guidelines are being properly followed, we generally expect the complainant to refer the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
6. As this is the body best placed to deal with such issues, we will not investigate Mr X’s complaint.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Information Commissioner’s Office is the body best placed to deal with it.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman