Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint that the Council shared inaccurate information about her to a credit rating agency. The injustice she describes is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains that the Council provided inaccurate information about her to a credit rating agency.

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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 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

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

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My assessment

5. Ms X say that the Council provided inaccurate information about her address with a credit rating agency. Ms X says this affected her credit rating, and she has had to go to effort getting the information rectified.
6. I will not investigate Ms X’s complaint. This is because I do not consider the injustice described by Ms X is significant enough to justify our further involvement.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because she has not suffered a significant enough injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman