Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council closing Ms X’s council tax account by error nor its attempt to recoup the outstanding balance before a payment arrangement had been made. This is because parts of the complaint are late and an investigation into the remaining complaint points would be unlikely to result in a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained the Council closed her account in error and stopped collecting her direct debit payments for over a year. She also complained the Council went on to attempt to collect the outstanding debt accrued with one payment before a payment arrangement had been agreed.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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)
4. 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.

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

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by Ms X and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. The Council closed Ms X’s council tax account and stopped collecting direct debit payments in 2024 after receiving information indicating she was no longer liable for council tax at that address.
8. Ms X raised a complaint with the Council about this in 2025 and it reinstated her direct debit. The Council attempted to recoup the outstanding balance via direct debit the following month, but this was returned unpaid. The Council also issued a bill that did not include the payments Ms X had made until it cancelled the direct debit.
9. Ms X complained and the Council acknowledged the further error. The Council corrected the balance and placed a hold on the account. The Council offered Ms X a payment plan.
10. The evidence shows the Council stopped collecting Ms X’s council tax payments over 12 months before she complained about it. The Ombudsman will not usually investigate complaints about events that took place over 12 months ago unless there are good reasons to do so. It would have been reasonable for Ms X to complain about this much sooner. This aspect of the complaint is therefore late.
11. The Council acknowledged it attempted to collect the direct debit payment before it had agreed a payment plan. It has since corrected the balance and offered Ms X a payment arrangement to clear the outstanding debt. This is what we would expect the Council to do to put things right. There is no suggestion Ms X is not liable for the council tax balance accrued. An investigation would therefore be unlikely to result in a different outcome.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because parts of the complaint are late and an investigation into the remaining complaint points would be unlikely to result in a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman