City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (25 029 748)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a Council tax premium notification because the matter has been remedied.
The complaint
- Mr X complains that the Council failed to notify him in time of a Council tax premium that would apply to his property.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
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 he bought a property in December 2024 and was not told at that time that an empty homes premium would apply from May 2025 (as it had been empty prior to purchase).
- The Council applied the premium from May 2025. Mr X says that, had he known the premium would apply he could have adjusted his finances.
- The Council apologised and offered to accept payment over a longer period.
- The information about premiums is available on the Council’s website. Nevertheless, the injustice caused to Mr X relates to budgeting. I consider that the apology and the offer of a longer period for payment is an acceptable remedy to the complaint.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the complaint has been remedied.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman