Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a missed garden waste collection. This is because the alleged injustice does not justify public money being spent on an investigation or the pursuit of a financial remedy.

The complaint

1. Mr C complains his garden waste subscription sticker did not arrive until after the first scheduled collection and the Council refused to collect his waste the following day. Mr C says he has paid for a service he has not received and the Council has refused his request for a pro rata refund of £4. Mr C would like the Council to pay the refund he has requested.

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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 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

3. I considered information provided by Mr C.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. 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.
6. We must use public money carefully and we generally do not investigate complaints about one or two missed waste collections. We also do not expect councils to pay a financial remedy for a single missed collection.
7. The injustice Mr C has suffered and the outcome he seeks do not justify public money being spent on an investigation or the pursuit of a financial remedy by the Ombudsman.
8. So, we will not investigate this complaint.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr C’s complaint because he has not suffered a significant or serious injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman