Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about council tax billing. The complaint is late and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion to consider it now.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains the Council did not provide clear information about her council tax bills for the years 2022 to 2024. Miss X also complains the Council took a significant amount of money by direct debit without prior notice.

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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)
3. 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))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. In July 2024, Miss X asked the Council to provide a breakdown of her council tax accounts for the years 2022/23 and 2023/24. In August 2024, the Council took a significant amount of money through Miss X’s council tax direct debit without prior notice. Miss X reversed this payment through her bank and the money was returned.
7. We normally expect people to complain to us within 12 months of becoming aware of a problem. Miss X did not complain to the Ombudsman until November 2025. We consider each complaint individually and on its merits, but we do not exercise discretion to accept a late complaint unless there are good reasons to do so. I have considered whether there are grounds to exercise discretion in this case and have found no good reasons to do so.
8. Even if we were to exercise discretion to consider the late complaint, we would not investigate. The direct debit was returned, and the Council has since explained the outstanding amounts on Miss X’s council tax account and issued revised demand notices. While I recognise Miss X experienced uncertainty due to the delay in the explanation and revised bills being issued, there is insufficient remaining injustice to warrant investigation.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint. The complaint is late and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion to consider the late complaint.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman