Summary: We will not investigate Mr X's complaint about the Council incorrectly linking other individuals to his address, which resulted in enforcement correspondence being sent to his property. The Council has acknowledged the error, apologised, corrected its records, and provided a remedy. Further investigation is unlikely to achieve a worthwhile outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council failed to act appropriately after he notified it in 2023 that correspondence relating to other individuals were being sent to his address. He says the incorrect address association remained on the Council's records and led to enforcement action being pursued against those individuals at his address, causing distress and anxiety. He wants the Council to explain what happened and consider whether the compensation already offered is enough.

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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 and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X says the Council failed to act appropriately after he notified it in 2023 that correspondence intended for other individuals was being sent to his address. He says the incorrect address association later resulted in enforcement action and caused him distress and anxiety.
6. The Council told Mr X the incorrect address association originated from information supplied by another agency and said he would need to contact that organisation for further information about how the incorrect address came to be recorded. The Council nevertheless accepted the association was incorrect and that it acted in good faith with the information that was provided.
7. The Council provided a remedy for the impact of the error. It apologised, corrected its records, removed the link from enforcement records and made a payment of £100 as a goodwill gesture.
8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council has provided a suitable remedy for the injustice caused and further investigation would be unlikely to achieve a different outcome.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because further investigation would not achieve a worthwhile outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman