Summary: We will not investigate this complaint the Council had not refunded a council tax overpayment. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council had not refunded a council tax overpayment or paid him £100 as agreed in a complaint response dated January 2023.

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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 not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (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 and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. In the Council’s response to Mr X’s previous complaint, it asked him to provide his bank details so it could process the refund to him. The Council said Mr X had not provided his bank details, nor had he contacted it since it issued that response in January 2023. The Council confirmed it was happy to process the payment once it received his bank details.
6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint further. Mr X needs to provide the Council with his bank details so it can refund the money owed. It cannot do that without these details. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman