Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s delay in issuing her final tax bill. The Council has remedied the injustice through its complaints process. Investigation by us would not achieve anything more.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about the Council’s delay in issuing her final tax bill and closing her account at her old address. She says the delay has caused her stress and frustration. She wants the Council to acknowledge the extent of the delay, apologise and provide compensation.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

5. The evidence I have seen shows the Council has now issued a final bill to Miss X and closed her account from the date she changed address. It acknowledged there was a delay and apologised for not acting sooner.
6. When someone has suffered because of fault, we try to put them back in the position they would have been if that error had not happened. I am satisfied the Council has taken reasonable and proportionate action to remedy the injustice caused by its fault. While I acknowledge that Miss X spent time on the matter, I do not consider the remaining injustice would warrant our further involvement. The remedial action taken by the Council is in line with what we would typically recommend. Investigation by us would not achieve anything more and therefore I will not investigate this complaint.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because the Council has remedied the injustice through its complaints process. Investigation by us would not achieve anything more.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman