London Borough of Southwark (24 022 380)
Category : Transport and highways > Other
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 25 Mar 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council’s delay returning a £25 deposit. This is because Mr B has not suffered a serious or significant injustice which would justify our involvement.
The complaint
- Mr B says the Council is taking too long to return his £25 key deposit for a cycle hangar. Mr B says he has been waiting for this payment since late November 2024 and the Council has recently told him it may take a further six weeks.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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 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))
- This means we will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm, or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss or injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Mr B.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The Council has apologised to Mr B for the delay returning his deposit. The information indicates the Council intends to make this payment and will do so in the coming weeks.
- I find this delay has not caused Mr B a serious or significant injustice which would justify public money being spent on an investigation or the pursuit of a financial remedy by the Ombudsman.
- So, we will not investigate this complaint.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint because he has not suffered a significant injustice which would justify our involvement.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman