Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council failed to notify him of new business grant schemes aimed at helping businesses affected by COVID-19. This is because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Mr X, complains the Council failed to notify him about new government grant schemes for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. This complaint involves events that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government introduced a range of new and frequently updated rules and guidance during this time. We can consider whether the council followed the relevant legislation, guidance and our published “Good Administrative Practice during the response to COVID-19”.
3. The Ombudsman investigates 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 may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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Background

5. From March 2020 the Government created schemes for councils to pay grants to small businesses. This was because the COVID-19 restrictions affected so many of them.
6. Mr X runs a small business. He applied for various grants from the Council with the help of his family in 2020. But he is not computer-literate and does not use social media so he was unaware of two further grant schemes starting in January 2021. By the time he became aware of the schemes the deadlines for applications had passed and the Council informed him it could not award him the grants.
7. Mr X complains the Council failed to notify him of the new schemes. He believes it should accept his late applications based on his exceptional circumstances.

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My assessment

8. There was no requirement for the Council to notify Mr X personally or directly about the new grant schemes available from January 2021. It was for each business owner to keep up to date with the schemes available and to apply for any they believed they were entitled to. The schemes were created and publicised by the government and further by the Council through its website and social media. While it is unfortunate Mr X did not see any of the publicity for the schemes until it was too late this is not the result of any fault by the Council.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate this complaint. This is because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.

Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman