Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X complaint about delays in telling her about a grant process. We are unlikely to add significantly to the Council’s reply to her complaint.

The complaint

1. Mrs X says the Council did not reply to her complaint properly.

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:

• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement; or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organization. (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 Mrs X which included the Council’s reply to her.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

5. In August 2024 Mrs X asked for information about how to apply for a grant for flooring for her disabled child’s bedroom. Eight days later she complained she had not had a reply.
6. In October 2024, the Council replied to her complaint. It apologised for not replying to her request and for delays in the complaint response process. It explained the grant process and said it had requested an Occupational Therapist assess her case for a grant. Mrs X has confirmed this happened.
7. Mrs X says the Council failed to respond to her complaint within the Council’s own timescales. She says there were oversights and general incompetence. She says this led to withholding of funding and deliberately prolonging the process. She says she has had to pay for the work herself.

8. Our investigation would not add to the Council’s reply. Its apologies and explanation is a sufficient response to the relatively short delay in telling her of the process and starting that process.
9. It is not a good use of public resources to investigate complaints about complaint procedures, if we are not investigating the substantive issue.

Back to top

Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because we are unlikely to add significantly to the Council's response to her complaint.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman