High Peak Borough Council (25 016 229)
Category : Benefits and tax > Council tax
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 20 Feb 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax. This is because the complaint is late and there is no good reason for this.
The complaint
- Mrs X complains the Council failed to award a council tax reduction or discount when her son was living with her from 2022. She says he moved out and has received a council tax reduction at his new address.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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).
- 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)).
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council. I also considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mrs X complained to the Council regarding the matters in paragraph 1.
- The Council replied that Mrs X’s son was not liable for council tax at her address and so it could not pay a council tax reduction. Mrs X was the liable person as the tenant. It had applied a single person discount since her son left. The Council presumed Mrs X’s son was liable for council tax and therefore claimed and received a council tax reduction.
- We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because it is late. It relates to matters that she was aware of more than 12 months ago before she complained to the Ombudsman and there is no good reason for this.
- Even if we were to exercise our discretion to investigate, there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to warrant investigation. The Council has explained why a council tax reduction or discount did not apply.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because it is late and there is no good reason for this. There is not enough evidence of fault to warrant investigating.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman