Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a local welfare payment. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant investigation and we cannot achieve the outcome Mr X wants.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about faults in the Council’s local welfare payment scheme. He asked for compensation of £1500 because he said
• the Council delayed considering the award
• he had great difficulty accessing the Council’s building to collect the food voucher.
• the amount the Council awarded was significantly reduced
• the voucher was not for a shop he could access
• the Council delayed responding to his complaint.

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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 not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants,

(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. I also considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. Mr X complained to the Council regarding the matters in paragraph 1.
5. The Council replied when Mr X applied to its Household Support Fund, he chose a food voucher for collection at a specified Council office. The Council stated its office had clear signage and it had provided a map. The Council explained the amount awarded was lower than previous awards because funding had reduced. The Council advised Mr X could now make a further claim. It said it could send an award by email as an electronic voucher in future if he wished. The Council concluded it acted correctly and it did not uphold Mr X’s complaint.
6. We will not investigate this complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to warrant investigation. The Council explained the reasons why it did not uphold Mr X’s complaint. While the Council did not refer to the time it took to consider the application, the time was not excessive, and the delay did not cause significant injustice. The Council’s stage two response was sent just over two weeks from receipt of the complaint, so there does not appear to be fault here. We cannot achieve the financial compensation that Mr X seeks.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant an investigation, or significant injustice, and we cannot achieve the outcome he wants.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman