Summary: We cannot investigate Mr B’s complaint about his council tax increasing. This is because this issue affects all or most of the people in the Council’s area.

The complaint

1. Mr B complains the Council significantly increases his council tax each year despite Council services, particularly waste collections, getting worse.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. We cannot investigate something that affects all or most of the people in a council’s area. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(7), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Mr B.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. We cannot investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council increasing his council tax. This is because this issue affects all council tax payers, which is most people in the Council’s area. We cannot investigate an issue which affects all or most of the people in a council’s area.
7. For the same reason, we cannot investigate a complaint about waste not being collected across the Council’s area during recent months.

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Final decision

8. We cannot investigate this complaint because the issue complained about affects all or most of the people in the Council’s area.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman