Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Ms X’s council tax enquiries. This is because we could not add to the Council’s previous response and further investigation would not lead to a different outcome

The complaint

1. Ms X complains about how the Council handled her council tax enquiries. She said it failed to send her bills and officers were rude and unhelpful. She said the Council gave her the wrong reference and failed to take account of her disability. This has caused her stress 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:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, 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. Ms X complained she tried to get a council tax bill between April and May 2025 by sending more than 40 emails to the Council. But it failed to reply. She also called the Council, but says one officer shouted at her and put the phone down on her after a few seconds. She also said the Council gave her the wrong reference so she was unable to pay.
5. The Council replied that
• It would have responded to emails or produced bills in response. It had sent five bills as requested. It could not say why Ms X had not received the bills.
• the Council tax reference it gave was correct. It considered Ms X used the wrong reference. It offered to assist her.
• It provided logged details of four calls one officer made to Ms X. It did not It did not have evidence an officer was rude as Ms X suggested.
• It understood Ms X’s frustration and distress but as it had not upheld the complaint it did not agree it should compensate her.
6. We will not investigate this complaint because we are unlikely to add to the Council’s investigation. There are no recordings of calls, and it is not possible to get further information or evidence.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Ms X’s s complaint because we cannot add to the Council’s previous investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman