Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to correctly address correspondence to Mr X’s home. There is insufficient evidence of any substantial injustice which would warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained about the Council failing to update records in all its departments of his amended mail address. He is concerned that mail or deliveries may be misdirected if his address is not updated.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Ombudsman investigates 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 may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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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 says he paid to add the name of the private lane to his home to his postal address in 2019 to ensure accurate delivery of mail and parcels. In December 2021 he received a letter from a Council department which did not include the added lane name in his address. Complained to the Council but he did not receive a satisfactory response, despite having had previous assurances that the Council’s records had been updated.
6. I do not consider that single examples of mail using the less detailed address is sufficient injustice to warrant an investigation of the Council’s actions. Although Mr X provided an example of a letter with the previous address on it, this letter was delivered without the additional lane name. Most mail using automated sorting can be delivered with only the house name/number and postcode present.
7. Whilst I can understand Mr X’s frustration at still receiving mail without the amended detail there is insufficient injustice caused to him to pursue this further.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to correctly address correspondence to Mr X’s home. There is insufficient evidence of any substantial injustice which would warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman