Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council (25 023 265)
Category : Benefits and tax > Council tax
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 08 Jun 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s recovery of his council tax arrears. This is because the arrears have now been repaid in full and there is no further worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.
The complaint
- Mr X complained the Council issued an Attachment of Earnings Order (AEO) to recover council tax arrears, without first offering him a more affordable payment plan.
- Mr X said the deductions caused financial hardship and had a significant impact on his mental health. He wanted the Council to reduce the AEO deductions and agree a more affordable repayment plan.
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 there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The Council obtained an AEO to recover Mr X’s outstanding council tax arrears. Mr X said the level of deductions left him struggling financially and he believed the Council should have considered a more affordable repayment arrangement.
- However, the arrears have now been repaid in full. As a result, the Ombudsman could not achieve the outcome Mr X originally sought, being a reduction in deductions or alternative repayment plan.
- In these circumstances, there is no worthwhile outcome achievable through further investigation, and it would not be a proportionate use of public resources to investigate the complaint further.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the council tax arrears have been repaid in full and there is no worthwhile outcome an investigation could achieve.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman