Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council (25 021 560)
Category : Benefits and tax > Council tax
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 21 Apr 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s pursuit of Mr X for unpaid council tax. This is because the injustice experienced is insufficient to warrant investigation.
The complaint
- Mr X complained the Council failed to close his council tax account when he moved address and wrongly pursued him for unpaid council tax.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X complained to the Council that he provided his estate agent’s details and confirmed his council tax account was fully paid when he moved to a different address. However, he had to pay enforcement fees to bailiffs that attended his new address, and this caused him and his pet distress.
- The Council confirmed that his account was not fully paid but apologised that it failed to procure a forwarding address. The Council cancelled and refunded Mr X’s enforcement fees and advised that it would be retraining staff to ensure this did not happen again.
- The Ombudsman will not investigate complaints where the injustice sustained to the complainant is not significant. Whilst this matter no doubt caused Mr X upset, he has not suffered a financial loss and the Council has apologised for the fault. Any residual injustice is not sufficient to warrant investigation.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because any injustice experienced is insufficient to warrant investigation.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman