Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with Mr X’s Discretionary Housing Payment request as we are not likely to achieve a worthwhile outcome by doing so.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council lost his application for a Discretionary Housing Payment which meant he had to reapply. This caused a delay as well as inconvenience and frustration.

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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))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

5. Mr X said he applied for a Discretionary Housing Payment, and the Council lost this application.
6. The Council accepted it lost Mr X’s application, and that this led to a delay in responding to the request. It also recognised this caused Mr X frustration and inconvenience as he had to apply again.
7. When Mr X reapplied for the payment, the Council declined the request. It reviewed this decision and confirmed Mr X was not eligible for a payment.
8. It is unlikely we would recommend the Council provide a remedy which warrants an investigation. This is because the Council has already accepted its error, and apologised to Mr X.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we are unlikely to achieve any worthwhile outcome by doing so.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman