Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council’s bulky waste collection service failed to collect two items because the claimed injustice is not significant enough to warrant an investigation by the Ombudsman.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council’s bulky waste collection service failed to collect two items he paid to have removed at a cost of £42.
2. Mr X said the matter caused him time and trouble.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. Mr X paid £42 for a bulky waste collection service from the Council. The Council arranged to pick up the items and set a date. However, the Council later informed Mr X it was unable to pick the items up on the date agreed and scheduled collection for the next day. When the Council arrived to collect the items, they had become waterlogged.
7. In its complaint response, the Council explained to Mr X it had cancelled the collection in line with its terms of service.

Analysis

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. Our role is to consider complaints where the person bringing the complaint has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the organisation. This means we will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm, or distress as a direct result of faults or failures.
9. Mr X’s claimed injustice that he paid £42 for a service he did not receive is not significant enough to warrant an investigation by the Ombudsman, and so we will not investigate this complaint.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the claimed injustice is not significant enough to warrant an investigation by the Ombudsman.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman