Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about payments for council tax. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

The complaint

1. Miss K complains the Council failed to respond to her queries about her online account and setting up a direct debit. It then referred her account to its enforcement agent when she did not pay. She says this caused her frustration and inconvenience.

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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

(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. I also considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. The Council had made a payment arrangement with Miss K. The first installment by cash or card payment was due on 10 February. She emailed that she had difficulties setting up an online account. The Council replied on 17 February and Miss K then set up an online account.
5. However, later in February Miss K emailed and asked the Council why its system did not allow her to set up a direct debit. By 18 March the Council had cancelled the payment arrangement and the referred the account to its enforcement agents.
6. Miss K complained in April the Council had not replied to her emails that its online system did not work and that she could not set up a direct debit.
7. The Council did not uphold Miss K’s complaint. It said it had replied to her earliest email. It noted she was able to set up an online account but had not paid the installment due on 10 February. The method of payment was cash. It explained the option to set up a direct debit online was withdrawn from late February until 1 April. This was not a system fault.
8. I have not seen sufficient evidence of fault by the Council. The Council resolved Miss K’s queries about setting up an online account by 17 February. The Council has explained the payment method was cash and its system did not allow users to set up direct debits from late February.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Miss K’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman