Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to award medical priority. This is because we cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons why someone could not have complained earlier.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains that the Council did not properly consider her son’s medical needs when deciding priority banding. Ms X says this has caused stress, impacted her whole family and meant her son does not have a safe sleep space. Ms X would like the Council to award medical priority.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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

3. I considered information provided by Ms X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Ms X complained to the Council about how it had considered her son’s medical needs in October 2024.
6. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons why someone could not have complained earlier. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. Ms X was aware of the issue she has complained about in 2024, and I can see no good reason why she did not complain sooner. Therefore, we will not investigate her complaint now.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because we cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons why someone could not have complained earlier.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman