Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint the Council allocated a school placement to a third party who she says fraudulently used her address when applying. This is because the complaint is late and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains that, in 2022, the Council allocated a school placement to a third party who she says fraudulently used her address when applying.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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

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

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My assessment

6. Ms X complains, in 2022, the Council allocated a school placement to a third party who she says fraudulently used her address when applying.
7. Based on the evidence I have seen, Ms X first raised this issue with the Council in 2022. Ms X complained to the Council again in March 2024, but she did not engage with the Council’s complaints team when it tried to deal with her complaint.
8. This complaint is late, as Ms X did not complain to the Ombudsman until April 2025, meaning we would not usually look at matters that occurred before April 2024. I have seen no good reasons for us to exercise discretion. Ms X could have complained to us much sooner than April 2025.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint the Council allocated a school placement to a third party who she says fraudulently used her address when applying. This is because the complaint is late.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman