Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about school transport because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains the Council declined her application for home to school transport for her granddaughters and refused to hear her appeal because it was late.

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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
• 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 and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mrs X applied for home to school transport for her granddaughters on behalf of their father in summer 2025. I have not included the details here to ensure their anonymity. She provided contact details for herself and the girls’ father.
6. He contacted the Council in October 2025 to say that he had not heard from the Council following his mother’s application for bus passes for his daughters.
7. The Council explained it had sent its decision to him by email on 6 August. The Council declined to provide transport because the girls do not attend their nearest school.
8. Mrs X appealed. The Council refused to hear her appeal because it was late. The Council allows four weeks for unsuccessful applicants to submit an appeal. The deadline for the appeal was 3 September.
9. Unhappy with the outcome, Mrs X complained to us.
10. The Council sent me a copy of Mrs X’s application and the decision it sent to the girls’ father. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to justify an investigation by us. The Council is entitled to reject the appeal because it was late. There is no worthwhile outcome achievable.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman