Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council suspending Mr X’s housing benefit resulting in rent arrears. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. The Council has reinstated Mr X’s housing benefit so there is no worthwhile outcome achievable.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about the Council’s failure to respond to his appeal about his housing benefit suspension. He says the landlord’s agent has contacted him several times about the outstanding rent.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate 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 continue an investigation if we decide there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

Final decision

5. We will not investigate because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. As the housing benefit has now been reinstated there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by investigating.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman