Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Mrs Z’s council tax account. We could not add to the investigation the Council has already carried out, so there is no worthwhile outcome achievable from our investigation.

The complaint

1. Mrs Z complained the Council mismanaged her council tax account which led to the wrong issuing of a court summons.
2. Mrs Z also said the Council did not recognise her vulnerability and its complaint handling was poor.
3. Mrs Z said this caused distress.
4. Mrs Z wants the Council to explain its faults, apologise, review its processes and agree a fair repayment plan with her.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

5. 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
• 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

6. I considered information provided by Mrs Z and the Council.
7. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

8. Mrs Z complained to the Council about unacceptable delay in updating her council tax account after she had told it of a change in her circumstances. Mrs Z also complained that this delay led to a court summons for non-payment of council tax being issued to her.
9. Mrs Z also complained a Council officer gave her misleading information that contributed to the court summons being issued. Additionally, Mrs Z said the Council failed to recognise her vulnerability despite her telling it of her circumstances, and the Council’s complaint handling was poor featuring confusion and delay.
10. The Council considered Mrs Z’s account through its complaints procedure. The Council acknowledged fault including in its complaint handling, apologised, discontinued the court summons, wiped associated costs, took learning and created a payment plan for Mrs X.
11. We will not investigate this complaint. Given the extent of the Council’s findings, we would not be able to add to the investigation the Council has already carried out.
12. We will also not investigate Mrs Z’s complaint about the Council’s complaint handling. It is not a good use of public resources to investigate complaints about complaint procedures, if we decide not to deal with the substantive issue. So, there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

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Final decision

13. We will not investigate Mrs Z’s complaint because we could not add to the investigation the Council has already carried out, and there is no worthwhile outcome achievable from our investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman