Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s delay in responding to Miss X’s request for a single person council tax discount. This is because an investigation would be unlikely to result in a different outcome for Miss X.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained about the Council’s delay in responding to her request for a single person council tax discount.

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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:

• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

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

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My assessment

5. Miss X contacted the Council in April 2025 to check she had set up her council tax account online and to request a single person discount. She received an automated email telling her she would receive a response within 12 working days, but she did not receive acknowledgement or the discount for 5 weeks.
6. Miss X complained about this as well as the Council’s decision to treat her complaint as a service request and asked for compensation. She was also unhappy she did not receive a refund of the payment she made before she received the discount.
7. The Council mostly upheld Miss X’s complaint and apologized for the service she had received. The Council explained it did not offer refunds when there were charges on the account but offered her a £25 goodwill award.
8. Miss X has brought the complaint to us as she remains unhappy with the Council’s actions. The Ombudsman will not investigate complaints where the Council has already investigated and provided a proportionate remedy. In this case, the Council has apologised, explained the actions taken and offered Miss X a goodwill award. The Council has acknowledged the shortfalls in service Miss X experienced. This is what we would expect the Council to do. The injustice suffered due to this fault is not so significant as to warrant a further goodwill award or investigation.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because an investigation would be unlikely to result in a different outcome for her.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman