Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (25 012 014)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about utility liability. The Council have provided a suitable remedy.
The complaint
- Mr X complains the Council did not confirm he was not liable for utility bills at his temporary accommodation property.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X lived in a temporary accommodation provided by the Council. Mr X was chased for utility bills for the property. He contacted the Council and asked them to formally confirm he was not liable for the bills so he could provide this evidence to the utility companies.
- The Council provided Mr X with a letter confirming he was not liable for the utility bills. This is a suitable remedy.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council have provided a suitable remedy.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman