Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of an insurance claim as any fault has not caused the complainant a level of injustice that would warrant our further involvement.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained about the Council’s procedure for dealing with insurance claims and communications failures which he said caused delay in settling a straightforward claim. Mr X says this caused him stress for which he would like a token financial payment as a remedy.

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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 fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained (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. Mr X complains he had to submit his claim for damaged clothing several times to the Council before it was processed and about a lack of communication between the Council and its claims handlers. Mr X says this led to delays in the claim being settled. Mr X also complains the Council’s complaint responses did not fully address his concerns nor did it reply to his request for a payment in recognition of the impact on him from the problems he experienced.
6. The Council acknowledged fault in how it dealt with Mr X’s claim, apologised, and said it had put in place measures to try to avoid a recurrence.
7. I recognise Mr X remains dissatisfied, but the Council went some way to apologise and to address the procedural issues his complaint highlighted. It has also accepted Mr X’s claim with payment due to be made soon. As such, I do not consider there is sufficient remaining injustice caused to Mr X to warrant our further involvement. We have limited resources and must direct them to the most serious cases. This is not such a case.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because he is not caused a level of injustice from any Council fault significant enough to warrant our further involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman