Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax reduction because the matter has been remedied.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains that the Council unreasonably delayed determining his request for a Council tax reduction.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X says that he applied for a Council tax discount in September 2025 but it was not determined until February 2026.
6. The Council says that there was initial confusion as the 25% discount applied for related to the specific discount/exemption for Mr X’s wife’s student status. The Council says that it was only when the Council became aware that the matter related to a student exemption (and therefore required a student exemption certificate) that the matter was resolved.
7. The Council apologised for the delay in the assessment of the claim. It says that the original request could not have been actioned without a student certificate but this was not requested given the lack of clarity over the original request.
8. I am satisfied that the apology is a sufficient remedy for the delay in this matter. As no enforcement action was started and Council tax has been refunded I do not consider that any compensation is warranted in this case.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the matter has been remedied.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman