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

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains the Council has allocated her council tax payments to previous years, when she thought she was up to date with the current year. She believes the account is incorrect and payments are not recorded. This has led to distress and anxiety.

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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 the complainant and the Council. I also considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. Mrs X complained to the Council that she believed she was up to date with her council tax payments for 2024/25. But the Council told her she had several years including 2024/25 with outstanding council tax. Mrs X said her online account showed payments to the current year, but the Council had allocated payments to older years. She could not see records about any years before 2015. She said she was very distressed by the Council’s actions and its responses.
5. The Council replied apologising that Mrs X had been distressed, but it did not uphold her complaint. It said that
• It had emailed Mrs X a statement showing the balances for outstanding years and how it had allocated payments.
• Its online customer access service showed payments received in the current year and did not show how they were allocated to different years. It would review the information it provided to make this clearer.
• Its online account did not show the 2014/15 council tax year due to its age. But it confirmed it would review this to allow customers access to the information.
• It explained how it allocated Mrs X’s regular direct debit partly to the current year and part to previous unsummonsed years
• It would also continue make deductions from Mrs X’s benefits to pay off the arrears where it had obtained a liability order.
• It had apologised for a letter regarding arrears it issued in error in 2024.
6. I do not consider there is sufficient evidence of fault by the Council to warrant investigation as it has explained its payment allocation. While the online customer account does not show how payments are allocated, the Council will provide this information when requested. If Mrs X believes payments are missing, she can provide information and the Council can look into this.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman