Housing adaptations for people with disabilities This fact sheet is for people with disabilities (or someone caring for them) who are experiencing problems with adaptation to their home and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I have a problem with adaptations to my home to make it suitable for me. Can the Ombudsman help me? In some cases, yes. By law the council may be respons ...

High hedges This fact sheet is aimed primarily at householders who have problems related to high hedges, either on their property or on a neighbour's, and who may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I have a problem with my neighbour's hedge which separates our properties, and the council is being unreasonable about the request to do something about it. Can the Ombudsman help me? ...

Harassment or illegal eviction by your private landlord This fact sheet is aimed at people living in private rented accomodation who are being harassed or thereatened with eviction by their landlord, and those who have already been evicted illegally, and who may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. My landlord is trying to evict me. Can the Ombudsman help me? In some cases, yes. Bu ...

School transport This fact sheet is aimed mainly at parents who have been refused help from the council with their child’s transport costs to school and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I have been refused help with my child’s transport costs to school. Can I complain to the Ombudsman? Yes, in some circumstances. The Ombudsman cannot question the council’s decision, if it t ...

Trading standards This fact sheet is aimed primarily at anyone who is dissatisfied with the way a council’s trading standards office has dealt with their complaint about a trader, or the way in which a council has carried out its investigative, monitoring and enforcement work, and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. A local trader has broken consumer protection law and I have ...

General planning advice (complaints about) This fact sheet is aimed mainly at people who have received advice from the council about planning matters and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I asked the council if I could object to the works happening across the road. The council said the works did not need planning permission. I do not think this is right. Can the Ombudsman he ...

Business rates This fact sheet is aimed primarily at anyone who is experiencing problems with some aspect of their business rates account and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I have a problem with my business rates. Can the Ombudsman help me? In some cases, yes. But there are some matters we are not allowed to look at by law: We cannot look at the level of business rates as ...

Housing benefit claims This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people who have problems with a claim for housing benefit (or local housing allowance) and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. Housing Benefit is being replaced by Universal Credit. The Ombudsman cannot deal with complaints about housing payments made as part of a Universal Credit claim. I have a problem with my hous ...

London council set to learn from how it handled COVID business grants Camden Council has agreed to reconsider how it will deal with businesses that missed out on COVID grants following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The Ombudsman has investigated complaints from two businessmen who felt Camden Council did not consider their applications properly in 2020. In on ...

Not enough local scrutiny of Cornwall’s outsourced education services to out-of-school children, Ombudsman says Cornwall Council will look into the cases of all children not attending school to ensure they are receiving a suitable alternative education, following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The Ombudsman was asked to investigate, after a boy was not provide ...