Birmingham City Council (25 023 599)
Category : Benefits and tax > Council tax
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 24 Feb 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax banding as there is an agency better placed to determine the matter.
The complaint
- Mr X complains about his Council tax banding which he considers too high.
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 not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
- any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
- any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
- we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
- further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
- we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants, or
- there is another body better placed to consider this complaint.
- .
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X says that the Council took too long to respond to his appeal for a lower Council tax band.
- A Council tax band can be challenged through the Valuation Office Agency, a body out of jurisdiction. Any final decision by the Valuation Office Agency can be appealed to a Valuation Tribunal.
- I appreciate that Mr X was frustrated by the delay in the Council’s response but information about appealing Council tax bands is freely accessible on the internet and so I see no significant injustice from this apparent delay. Ultimately this is a matter for the Valuation Office Agency.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is another agency better placed to dela with the matter.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman