Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the actions of the Council when she registered her father’s death. Further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council:
• went ahead with the registration of her father’s death even though it knew the location of his death was wrong; and
• refused to put things right when she tried to amend his death certificate.

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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, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants.

(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.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Ms X’s father died several years ago. When Ms X registered his death, she told the registrar that the location of death was wrong. The registrar did not halt the registration, so the registration was completed. Ms X bought two death certificates for £12.50 each.
6. The correct location was confirmed later and Ms X asked the Council to amend and reissue new death certificates. The Council said it would do this but Ms X would be charged £12.50 for each new certificate. It explained this was a statutory fee.
7. Ms X complained. The Council upheld her complaint and said it would reimburse the cost of the two original certificates if she sent them back. Ms X said she could not return both as she only had one of them. The Council said it would reimburse her for that certificate.
8. We will not investigate this complaint. The Council has said that it will reimburse Ms X’s fee for each certificate she returns. This is suitable to remedy the injustice caused to Ms X and further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. I note Ms X says she only has one certificate and so cannot get a full refund. However, the financial impact of this is not enough to justify an investigation.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman