Birmingham City Council (22 012 101)
Category : Benefits and tax > COVID-19
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 04 Jan 2023
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his test and trace support payment application. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.
The complaint
- The complainant, Mr X, complains the Council failed to award him a £500 test and trace support payment to compensate for loss of income resulting from COVID-19.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse effect on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start an investigation if the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X applied for a test and trace support payment, following his recovery from COVID-19, in December 2021. The Council requested further information from Mr X in January 2022 because Mr X had not provided evidence to show he was working in the months before he contracted the illness.
- Mr X says he provided the information requested before the test and trace support payment scheme closed on 30 April 2022 but the Council has no record of receiving it. The Council invited Mr X to provide evidence to show he sent it before the deadline but Mr X does not have any.
- Because there is no evidence to show Mr X provided the information required before the scheme closed we cannot say the Council was at fault for failing to award him the payment. Mr X may have qualified for the scheme but it has now closed and I have seen nothing to suggest that Mr X missed out on the payment as a result of fault by the Council.
Final decision
- We will not investigate this complaint. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman