Epping Forest District Council (25 028 600)
Category : Benefits and tax > Council tax
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 10 May 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about how the Council handled council tax for an uninhabitable property. The complaint is late, and it would have been reasonable for Miss X to have complained to us sooner.
The complaint
- Miss X complained the Council did not provide her with a full council tax refund. She said this was despite a tribunal ruling which said council tax was not due, as the property was uninhabitable.
- Miss X said this worsened her already poor mental health and caused stress and anxiety to her family.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- 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/care provider has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
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 told Miss X about the council tax refund it would issue, in March 2023.
- Miss X disputed the refund amount in June 2023.
- We normally expect people to complain to us within 12 months of them becoming aware of a problem. Miss X has been aware of the Council’s decision since March 2023. However, her complaint to the Ombudsman was made in March 2026.
- We look at each complaint individually, and on its merits, considering the circumstances of each case. We do not exercise discretion to accept a late complaint unless there are good reasons to do so. I have considered whether to exercise our discretion to investigate the complaint, but I have seen no good reasons to do so.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because it is late and it would have been reasonable for her to have complained to us sooner.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman