Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s management of Miss X’s council tax payments. This is because an investigation would be unlikely to find fault with the Council’s actions.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council has failed to locate council tax payments she made several years ago.

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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 there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (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 considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Miss X complained the Council has been pursuing her for historic council tax debt despite her providing pay slips from her previous employer showing she made the payment.
6. The Council did not uphold her complaint, stating that it requested remittances from her employer showing where the payments were sent, and it did not receive a response. The Council confirmed it has been unable to locate evidence of the payments and will therefore continue collections activity.
7. Miss X wants us to find the Council at fault. The Council has not received evidence necessary to cease collections activity. It is open to Miss X to pursue this matter with her previous employers. An investigation into this matter would be unlikely to result in faut with the Council.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because an investigation would be unlikely to find fault with the Council’s actions.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman