Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council (24 012 055)
Category : Benefits and tax > Council tax
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 11 Dec 2024
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council did not call him after sending him council tax recovery documents in the post. This is because the claimed fault did not cause any significant injustice.
The complaint
- Mr X complains the Council did not call him after sending him council tax recovery documents in the post. He says because of his disability, he expected the Council to call him when the documents were issued.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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 an investigation if we decide any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The Council sent Mr X some letters related to his council tax account, including information about recovery action. The Council confirmed it had to issue all statutory documents by post.
- The Council said it had previously told Mr X he could contact the revenues team to discuss his council tax account and to ask any questions regarding any letters sent to him.
- The Council said Mr X did this and it provided Mr X with detailed information on his council tax account, reviewed and made amendments where possible on the account, and what payments were expected of him. The Council confirmed Mr X had brought his account up to date and no payment was outstanding.
- An investigation is not justified as the claimed fault has not caused any significant injustice. This is because Mr X was able to contact the Council himself to discuss the letter and his council tax account.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the claimed fault did not cause any significant injustice.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman