Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council issuing summons for a council tax debt. Further investigation by us would not lead to a significantly different outcome.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council continued to pursue council tax debts, despite them being written off by a debt relief order (DRO).
2. Miss X said the matter caused her distress because she feared enforcement agents would attend her property.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Miss X had various debts written off in 2023 due to a DRO. This included Council tax debts.
7. Miss X complained that despite this, the Council issued summons for Council tax debts.
8. In its complaint response the Council said it had cancelled all enforcement action, written off the debt and closed the account. The Council also apologised to Miss X. These actions are appropriate.
9. Further investigation by the Ombudsman would be unlikely to lead to a significantly different outcome here. For this reason, we will not investigate.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because further investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman