Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions before it issued a council tax summons. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council wrongly sent her a council tax summons despite knowing she was vulnerable. This caused her severe distress and affected her physically. She says the Council should apologise, pay a financial remedy, and make service improvements.

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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. Ms X had received council tax support before April 2025. However, in July 2025 the Council sent her a summons.
5. Ms X complained the Council knew she was vulnerable and she had contacted it before the summons.
6. The Council’s complaint responses explained it had changed its council tax support scheme and Ms X was not entitled from April 2025. It sent her a bill in March 2025 and then a further bill in April 2025 when she cancelled her direct debit. It sent a reminder and then a summons. The Council said Ms X did not contact it until she had received the summons. However, it then agreed to withdraw the summons and costs, and it awarded discretionary council tax relief.
7. Ms X disputes this and provided an email from a tenancy support officer which said they had contacted the Council before the summons and asked for a discretionary relief.
8. There is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council as it does not have a record of Ms X or her representatives contacting it before the summons. While Ms X disputes the contact made, there is not enough documentary evidence the Council received contact earlier. The Council took appropriate action once Ms X called it after the summons.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman