Birmingham City Council (25 012 601)
Category : Benefits and tax > Council tax
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 11 Dec 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Mr X’s Council tax refund. Any injustice is not significant enough to warrant investigation.
The complaint
- Mr X complains that the Council delayed issuing his Council Tax refund for several months. He says the financial compensation offered by the Council is not enough, given the time taken and the stress he experienced in receiving the refund.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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 (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Once Mr X vacated his previous property, the Council followed procedure and issued the Council Tax refund by cheque, as he had cancelled his Direct Debit. The Council processed the refund on the same day Mr X requested it, 31 December 2024.
- The cheque was sent to Mr X’s previous address because there was a gap before he moved into his new property, so it went to the old address.
- When Mr X chased the matter in July 2025 and informed an officer, the refund was transferred through his preferred method, his bank account.
- The Council offered £25 compensation for the delay and the time taken for Mr X to receive the refund.
- I will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council reissued the refund shortly after Mr X contacted it again in July. Therefore, any remaining injustice is not significant enough evidence to justify our involvement
Final Decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because any remaining injustice is significant enough to justify our involvement.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman