Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax discounts. This is because the complaint is late and there is no good reason for this.

The complaint

1. Ms X says the Council failed to apply the correct student and single person discounts to her council tax for periods from 2017 to 2021. She says the Council requested the same information between 2020 and 2022 and took recovery action due to council tax arrears which should have been reduced.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended).

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant. I also considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. Ms X’s complaint relates to council tax discounts she says the Council should have awarded before 2021. The complaint is late because it relates to matters Ms X was aware of more than 12 months ago.
5. We will not investigate as the complaint is late and there is no good reason for this.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because it is late and there is no good reason for this.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman