Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council managed Ms X’s council tax account. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained the Council did not refund an overpayment of council tax in 2025. She said this has caused her stress and financial strain. She would like the Council to refund her overpayment and provide compensation for travel costs to hand deliver letters.

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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. (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 Ms X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Ms X complained the Council did not refund an overpayment of council tax in 2025. Ms X believed a single person discount had not been applied correctly to her council tax account.
6. In its complaint response, the Council told Ms X her council tax bill set out the charges she needed to pay via instalments. It explained there were no overpayments on her council tax account, and therefore no refund due.
7. In response to enquiries, the Council confirmed the council tax charges on Ms X’s account, and payments received. It clarified the single person discount had been applied to her account in 2025/26 and there was no credit on Ms X’s council tax account.
8. The Council told Ms X it needed to periodically re-check eligibility for the single person discount to confirm claimants still qualified. The Council apologised to Ms X if the process for checking her eligibility for her single person discount had caused confusion.
9. We will not investigate this complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. The Council explained to Ms X there had not been an overpayment on her council tax account, and therefore there was no refund due.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman