Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of her housing benefit claim and its overpayment decisions. Her complaint is late and we have seen no good why she could not have come to us sooner.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council failed to administer her housing benefit claim fairly between 2011 and 2019. She also disagrees with the Council’s housing overpayment decisions of 2019.
2. Ms X says the Council failed to consider personal circumstances, including her limited English. Ms X says the overpayment has caused her distress and anxiety.
3. She would like the Council to apologise, offer her a financial remedy and review how it administers housing benefit claims. Ms X also said the Council should reconsider recovery action for the overpayment and improve its communication with people with limited English.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by Ms X and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because it is late and we have seen no good reason why she could not have complained to us sooner.
8. Ms X complains about how the Council handled her housing benefit claim between 2011 and 2019. She also disagrees with the Council’s overpayment decisions of 2019.
9. However, Ms X complained to us about these matters in 2026.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because it is late. We have seen no good reason she could not have come to us sooner.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman