Birmingham City Council
Complaint overview
Between 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, we dealt with 572 complaints. Of these, 232 were not for us or not ready for us to investigate. We assessed and closed 226 complaints. We investigated 114 complaints.
More about this data
Complaints dealt with – the total number of complaints and enquiries considered. It is not appropriate to investigate all of them.
Not for us – includes complaints brought to us before the council was given chance to consider it, or the complainant came to the wrong Ombudsman.
Assessed and closed – includes complaints where the law says we’re not allowed to investigate, or it would be a poor use of public funds if we did.
Investigated – we completed an investigation and made a decision on whether we found fault, or no fault.
Complaints upheld – we completed an investigation and found evidence of fault, or the organisation provided a suitable remedy early on.
Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council – the council upheld the complaint and we agreed with how it offered to put things right.
Compliance with Ombudsman recommendations – not complying with our recommendations is rare. A council with a compliance rate below 100% should scrutinise the complaints where it failed to comply and identify any learning.
Average performance rates – we compare the annual statistics of similar types of councils to work out an average level of performance. We do this for County Councils, District Councils, Metropolitan Boroughs, Unitary Councils, and London Boroughs.
For more information on understanding our statistics see Interpreting our complaints data.
Complaints dealt with
Not for us
Assessed and closed
Investigated
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Complaints upheld
We investigated 114 complaints and upheld 94.
82% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 81% in similar authorities.
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for Birmingham City Council's population, this is 8.1 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.
The average for authorities of this type is
4.7 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents. -
Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
In 5 out of 94 upheld cases we found the Council had provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman.
5% satisfactory remedy rate.
This compares to an average of 13% in similar authorities.
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Compliance with Ombudsman recommendations
We recorded compliance outcomes in 82 cases.
In 82 cases we were satisfied with the actions taken.100% compliance rate with recommendations.
This compares to an average of 100% in similar authorities.
Annual letters
We write to councils each year to give a summary of the complaint statistics we record about them,
and their performance in responding to our investigations.
Reports
The Ombudsman has published the following reports against Birmingham City Council
Find out more about reports
We issue reports on certain investigations, particularly where there is a wider public interest to do so. Common reasons for reports are significant injustice, systemic issues, major learning points and non-compliance with our recommendations. Issuing reports is one way we help to ensure councils are accountable to local people and highlighting the learning from complaints helps to improve services for everybody. Reports are published for 10 years.
Birmingham to change complaints process following Ombudsman report
Birmingham City Council has agreed to revisit the way it responds to complaints about respite care for children with disabilities after it wrongly told families to appeal to the Ombudsman.
Ombudsman issues third critical report about Birmingham’s bin collections
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is again having to report on Birmingham’s waste collection services after the council had made assurances things would improve.
Birmingham wheelchair user left in unsuitable home for eight years by council
A Birmingham man has been left in unsuitable temporary accommodation for eight years despite the city council knowing it did not meet his needs as a wheelchair user, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.
Birmingham City council to refund 11 years of care home fees family paid in error
Birmingham City Council will repay a city family more than 11 years of care home fees after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found the family should never have been charged.
Councils warned to ensure grant processes are transparent following Ombudsman complaint
Councils administering Disabled Facilities Grants need to ensure their processes are transparent and accountable, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.
Birmingham bins not returned because of council squabble
Bickering Birmingham bin workers have left residents in one city street having to return their heavy communal bins to the right place, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.
Ombudsman investigation highlights housing delays in Birmingham
The high number of families trying to join councils’ housing lists is being highlighted by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman following one family’s complaint about their situation.
Birmingham City Council has agreed to revise its home to school transport policy and review all its decisions to issue a travel pass over the past three years following several complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
City council in foster carer dispute after girl’s mother dies
Birmingham City Council considered allowing an 11 year-old girl to be deported during a dispute with her foster carers, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has discovered.
Birmingham bin problems highlighted in Ombudsman report
From repeated missed collections to failing to return vulnerable people’s bins to the proper place, Birmingham’s refuse service has been criticised in a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
A Birmingham mother had to drive five hours a day to take her adult son, who had ‘severe and critical needs’, to his specialist college, because Birmingham City Council did not provide him with transport, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.
Councils advised about school transport changes following Birmingham investigation
The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) is urging councils to consider carefully the impact any school transport policy changes have on existing pupils after an investigation led to a boy having his free school travel pass reinstated.
Family with left without adequate support after Birmingham City Council failed to help
A family, whose son with special needs was presenting very challenging behaviour, was left without support despite calling on Birmingham City Council for help, the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has found.
Service improvements
The Council has agreed to make the following improvements to its services following an Ombudsman investigation.
Find out more about service improvements
When we find fault, we can recommend improvements to systems and processes where they haven’t worked properly, so that others do not suffer from these same problems in future. Common examples are policy changes; procedural reviews; and staff training. Service improvements from decisions are published for 5 years and those from reports are published for 10 years.
The latest 10 cases are listed below – click ‘view all’ to find all service improvements.
Case reference: 24 020 825
Category: Benefits and tax
Sub Category: Housing benefit and council tax benefit
- The Council also agreed to remind officers to refer cases to its appeals team if disputed decisions are not changed following a reconsideration request
Case reference: 24 016 565
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council has agreed to ensure housing applicants are able to provide their reasons if they are unable to provide all the documents the Council requires them to submit. The Council will then consider this information before deciding whether to close their housing application as incomplete due to missing documents.
Case reference: 24 014 814
Category: Education
Sub Category: School transport
- •Remind those dealing with school transport cases of the need to ensure parents/ carers are given the opportunity to attend appeal panel hearings should they wish to.
- •Advise those dealing with transport appeals of the need to ensure the panel is quorate and of the need to keep clear records of the panel decision and reasons.
Case reference: 24 014 372
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- •Provides further guidance to its staff about the information to provide in closure letters. It must ensure the letters specify exactly what information the applicant needs to provide. Where an applicant has provided financial records but more evidence is needed, it should not just list the financial documents applicants need to provide; it should explain why the evidence they have already provided does not meet the Council’s requirements.
- •Reviews its procedures to ensure it assesses applications which have been made in accordance with the allocation scheme. Unless the Council changes its allocation scheme, it should not consider applications to be incomplete when the applicant has provided the documents listed in paragraph 2.2.3 of the Council’s housing allocation scheme.
- •Resolves the technical issue which results in blank attachments being sent to housing applicants.
Case reference: 24 013 261
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council has agreed to review the documents required for new applicants and existing tenants, ensuring that applicants are not asked to provide unnecessary evidence.
- The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it assesses applications which have been made in accordance with the allocation scheme. Unless the Council changes its allocation scheme, it will not consider applications to be incomplete when the applicant has provided the documents listed in paragraph 2.2.3 of its housing allocation scheme.
- The Council has agreed to consider amending its procedures to give applicants additional time to submit missing documents before their application is closed, to prevent unnecessary delays. If the Council continues to close applications without giving applicants an opportunity to submit any missing documents, it will amend the application form to include a clear warning about the consequences of not submitting all required evidence.
Case reference: 24 013 203
Category: Education
Sub Category: Alternative provision
- The Council will remind officers they must consider whether the Council should arrange alternative provision for a child not in full-time education whenever they receive significant new information. They must keep a record of that consideration as without it, the Ombudsman may not be persuaded the Council properly considered whether it owes the child the duty to arrange alternative provision.
- The Council will clarify to officers that the Department for Education guidance on alternative education provision says councils should arrange provision when it is clear a child will be out of school on health grounds for 15 days, consecutively or cumulatively, over a school year.
Case reference: 24 013 188
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council will remind relevant staff that it must make enquiries when someone contacts it seeking accommodation and gives ‘reason to believe’ they ‘may be’ homeless or threatened with homelessness. The person does not have to complete a specific form or approach a particular department of the Council.
Case reference: 24 013 075
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- Provide training and/or guidance to its staff to ensure they are following the requirements of the Housing Act 1996 and the Homelessness Code of Guidance when dealing with homelessness applications. It should include the criteria for accepting subsequent homelessness applications, the requirement to issue decision letters, the timescales for the relief and prevention duties and the need to consider whether it is reasonable for the applicant to continue to occupy their accommodation.
- •Implement a monitoring system to ensure that cases are being handled within reasonable timeframes and that key deadlines (such as the decision on whether the relief duty applies) are met.
Case reference: 24 012 924
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it checks which documents a housing applicant has already provided and does not base its decision on only the documents submitted with the latest application. It will also remind all officers that a thorough check of all documents previously provided should be undertaken.
- The Council has agreed to consider amending its procedures to give housing applicants additional time to submit missing documents before their application is closed, to prevent unnecessary delays. If it decides not to amend its procedures, it will amend the application form to include a clear warning about the consequences of not submitting all required evidence.
Case reference: 24 012 812
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council has agreed to review the documents required for new housing applicants, joint tenants, existing tenants and household members, ensuring that applicants are not asked to provide unnecessary evidence. It will also ensure that staff training is provided so that officers are aware of the different evidence requirements for each applicant type.
- The Council has agreed to provide information to housing applicants on its website and its application form about the evidence it will accept as proof of address if they do not have a council tax bill or utility bill in their name.
- The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it assesses applications which have been made in accordance with the allocation scheme. Unless the Council changes its allocation scheme, it should not consider applications to be incomplete when a transfer applicant has not provided evidence of their eligibility or when a member of the household has not provided documents.
- The Council has agreed to consider amending its procedures to give applicants additional time to submit missing documents before closing their applications, to prevent unnecessary delays. If the Council continues to close applications without giving applicants an opportunity to submit any missing documents, it will amend the application form to include a clear warning about the consequences of not submitting all required evidence.
Last updated: 4 April 2015