Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax payments because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains that the Council has adjusted his Council tax payment schedule so that he longer has an option to pay 10 months Council tax over a year but now has to make 11 payments.

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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, or
• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

(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. Mr X says that the Council has moved his Council tax payments back one month which effectively means he has to make 11 payments over a year instead of 10. He says that this will affect his budgeting.
6. The Council says that the change in payments reflects statutory requirements but the payments over a financial year still remains 10 out of 12 months. The Council says it has also offered to alter the collection date if Mr X wished.
7. I am satisfied that there is no evidence of fault by the Council. Mr X can request alternative payment arrangements if he so wishes.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman