Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council handled Ms X’s council tax. Part of the complaint is late and the Council has taken suitable action regarding more recent matters.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council has unfairly taken recovery action for council tax arrears from 2013. In 2015 it issued a summons threatening imprisonment when she had recently given birth. In 2025 the Council issued a further summons and failed to take account of her vulnerability. She says this had caused her severe anxiety, affected her mental health and led to significant financial hardship.

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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 done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended).
3. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended).

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council. I also considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Ms X complained to the Council regarding the matters in paragraph 1.
6. The Council replied that it considered it had followed the correct processes regarding council tax recovery and adding costs to her account. It said it had applied a council tax reduction from 2024. However, it noted it had no evidence that it had discussed Ms X’s personal situation. The Council apologised and said it would remove the most recent summons costs of £50. It arranged a payment plan at £25 per month for the remining arrears. The Council also sent Ms X a full audit summary of her account.
7. The Council confirmed that it later removed a further £330 summons and liability order costs for periods from 2022.
8. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about matters from 2013 to October 2024 because it is late, and there is no good reason for this.
9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s actions from November 2025. The Council has accepted it did not have a record of discussing Ms X’s personal situation when recovering council tax. It has taken action which we consider a suitable remedy in the circumstances by apologising and removing costs.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because part of it is late relating to matters from 2013 to October 2024. We will not investigate the complaint about matters from November 2024 because the Council has taken suitable action.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman