Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council administered the COVID-19 Restart Grant and Additional Restrictions Grant. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council did not pay him the COVID-19 Restart Grant after he applied for it in June 2021. He said the Council did not tell him the grant scheme had a closure date of 31 July. He also said the Council failed to pay him the Additional Restrictions Grant.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
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 the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. In the Council’s response to Mr X’s complaints, it said he had not provided the required information for it to process his grant applications before the grant schemes had closed. It said the Government website provided information about the scheme closure dates. It did not uphold his complaints.
7. As there was information publicly available about the closure dates for the respective schemes, I am satisfied Mr X could have applied for the schemes with the correct information. Therefore, we will not investigate this complaint. That is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement. Additionally, Mr X’s complaint about the COVID-19 Grant scheme is late, as it was not made within twelve months of him becoming aware of the matter.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman