Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council charged him the full cost of an annual garden waste collection service despite only receiving several months of the amenity because the claimed injustice is not significant enough.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council charged him the full price for an annual garden waste collection service despite only receiving the service for 2025-26 for several months.
2. Mr X said the matter caused him frustration and affected him financially.

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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 applied for the Council’s 2025-26 garden waste collection service in November 2025 at a cost of £58.92. The service runs on a fixed term from March in the relevant year for a period of 12 months. The cost of the service remains the same regardless of when a person joins the scheme during the year.
7. We will not investigate this 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.
8. The total cost of the service was £58.92. Mr X wants the difference for the earlier months before he applied for the scheme to be refunded. A pro-rata reduction for the approximate eight to nine months Mr X did not have access to the service would be, at most, £44.19. This is not a significant enough injustice to warrant an investigation by the Ombudsman.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the claimed injustice is not significant enough.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman