West Northamptonshire Council (24 010 999)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a delay by the Council in issuing a council tax bill. This is because the Council has provided a satisfactory response.
The complaint
- The complainant, Mr X, complains the Council delayed issuing a council tax bill. He says he should only have to pay from the date of the bill and not from the date he moved in.
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 an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation 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 Mr X. This includes the complaint correspondence. I also considered our Assessment Code.
My assessment
- On 17 May Mr X told the Council he would be moving into a property on 29 May. He expected to get a bill by the time he moved in.
- The Council issued the bill on 1 July. The instalments were £207 a month over seven months. If there had not been a delay the payments would have been £161 a month.
- Mr X complained and said the delay meant his monthly payments were higher. The Council apologised for the delay, reduced the payments to £161 a month and extended the payment period until May. The Council invited Mr X to apply for help from the hardship fund and invited him to further discuss the payment arrangements. The Council said it could not offer compensation or waive some of the charge.
- Mr X says he should not have to pay council tax from May because the Council delayed issuing the bill creating higher payments.
- The Council delayed sending the bill but I will not start an investigation because it has provided a satisfactory response. The Council apologised for the delay, reduced the payments, gave longer to pay and signposted Mr X to sources of support. There is nothing more I would expect the Council to do.
- Mr X is liable for council tax from the day he moved in and has benefitted from council services from that date. The delayed bill does not alter this liability and, as I have said, the Council’s response is a fair and proportionate response to the delay.
Final decision
- We will not investigate this complaint because the Council has provided a satisfactory remedy.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman