Summary: The Council has already reconsidered and approved the complainant’s application to the test and trace support payment scheme. As this matter is now resolved we have discontinued our investigation.

The complaint

1. I will refer to the complainant as Mr C.
2. Mr C says the Council refused his application to the test and trace support payment scheme because it was out of time. However, he complains he was unable to make his application on time because of problems with the Council’s online application system, which it was aware of.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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

4. I reviewed Mr C’s correspondence with the Council.

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What I found

5. On 5 December 2021, Mr C tested positive for COVID-19 and entered a period of self-isolation. In early January, he tried to make an online application to the Council’s test and trace support payment scheme – within the 42 day deadline for the scheme – but was unable to complete his application.
6. Mr C spoke on the phone to a Council officer, who was also unable to submit his Mr C’s application. The officer explained this was because of the volume of people trying to apply, and reassured Mr C he would not be penalised if his application was late because of this.
7. Mr C said he eventually succeeded in submitting his application on 10 January. However, in February, the Council refused Mr C’s application because it was late. At Mr C’s request it reviewed its decision, but upheld it in March.
8. In April, Mr C complained about this to the Ombudsman.
9. During our initial enquiries about this case, the Council explained its online application system had failed because of the number of people applying during the outbreak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. However, it accepted Mr C had called on 6 January and said it should have taken as his application date. It said it would now reconsider his application.
10. In June, Mr C contacted us to confirm the Council had now reversed its decision and made the payment to him.

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Analysis

11. Mr C says he tested positive for COVID-19 on 5 December. By my calculation, 10 January – when his application eventually went through – was within 42 days of this. Even accepting the problems with the application system, therefore, it is not clear to me why the Council refused Mr C’s application as late.
12. However, the Council has already reconsidered its decision and Mr C confirms he received the grant money in June. This being the case, there is nothing further the Ombudsman could achieve here and so I will discontinue my investigation.

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Final decision

13. I have discontinued my investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman