Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has not made a payment to Mr X for travel expense and time and trouble as there is insufficient evidence of Council fault causing the injustice to Mr X.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains he gave a lift to a friend to attend a court hearing that had been cancelled. Mr X wants the Council to pay him £50 as the journey was unnecessary.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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 injustice to the person who complained (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. We will not investigate as it was Mr X’s personal choice to offer the lift and any injustice to him from this does not arise directly from any Council fault.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because any fault has not caused Mr X an injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman