Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a council survey and delays in responding to his concerns. This is because the Council has agreed to the remedy Mr X asked for, and it is unlikely an investigation by the Ombudsman could achieve anything more.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I shall call Mr X, complains an online council survey required him to create a new password – despite Mr X already having passwords for other council services. Mr X is unhappy with the way the Council dealt with his complaints.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint. I refer to this as ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we believe:

• it is unlikely we could add to any previous investigation by the Council, or
• it is unlikely further investigation will lead to a different outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered Mr X’s complaint to the Ombudsman and the information he provided. I also gave Mr X the opportunity to comment on a draft statement before reaching a final decision on his complaint.

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What I found

4. Mr X complained to the Council about an online survey he wanted to complete. Mr X was unhappy the survey required him to set up a new password – despite already having accounts for other council services. The Council eventually offered Mr X a payment of £25. This was not because Mr X had to set up a separate password – but because of delays in responding to Mr X’s complaint.
5. Unhappy with the Council’s response Mr X complained to the Ombudsman. Mr X said the Council had still not paid him the £25. Mr X wanted the Council to pay a further £75 for the time, stress and frustration caused by having to pursue his complaint.
6. In response to the Ombudsman’s request for an update, the Council said it had paid the £25 and offered to pay the extra £75 Mr X had asked for.
7. In deciding whether to investigate a complaint, the Ombudsman needs to consider what we could achieve for the person complaining. We do not investigate all the complaints we receive.
8. I understand Mr X is frustrated with how the Council dealt with his complaint. But it has agreed to the remedy Mr X proposed. If the Ombudsman were to investigate, it is unlikely we could achieve anything more for Mr X. Also, we will not normally investigate complaint handling as a standalone issue. An investigation by the Ombudsman is not therefore appropriate.

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Final decision

9. The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. This is because the Council has agreed to the remedy Mr X asked for, and it is unlikely an investigation by the Ombudsman could achieve anything more.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman