London Borough of Merton (22 000 100)

Statement Upheld Other 13-Apr-2022

Summary: The Council was at fault when it failed to complete stage 2 of the statutory children’s complaints procedures within the timescales agreed in a previous Ombudsman investigation. It has agreed to pay Mrs X £100 to reflect the injustice these further delays caused her.

London Borough of Merton (21 013 960)

Statement Upheld Housing benefit and council tax benefit 20-Jun-2022

Summary: Miss X complained the Council incorrectly calculated her entitlement to housing benefit and wrongly refused to award Discretionary Housing Payment which has resulted in significant rent arears. The delays and errors in the way the Council dealt with Miss X’s housing benefit and Discretionary Housing Payment claims amount to fault. This fault has caused Miss X an injustice.

London Borough of Merton (21 013 957)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 27-Jun-2022

Summary: Miss X complained about the way the Council dealt with her homelessness application and its failure to provide suitable temporary accommodation. The errors in the way the Council dealt with Miss X’s homeless application amount to fault. This fault has caused Miss X an injustice.

London Borough of Merton (21 017 646)

Statement Upheld Council tax 06-Jul-2022

Summary: Mr Y complains about the Council’s enforcement of historic council tax debts, which he was not liable for. He also complains about the Council’s decisions about council tax liability. We uphold the complaint, because the Council did enforce against the wrong person and did not act on communications from Mr Y about this. We have not investigated the council tax liability. That is because Mr Y can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal about these issues.

London Borough of Merton (21 015 621)

Statement Upheld Noise 06-Jul-2022

Summary: Mr X complains about how the Council handled his noise complaint. I have concluded my investigation having found fault in how the Council handled Mr X’s noise complaint. There were unreasonable delays throughout the process, and this caused an injustice to Mr X. The Council have agreed to the recommendations proposed.

London Borough of Merton (21 001 385)

Statement Upheld Private housing 19-Jul-2022

Summary: Ms Y complains the Council has not made the agreed rental payments for two homeless people which she agreed to accommodate as lodgers. We do not find fault in the substantive complaint however there is an outstanding payment for one tenant which the Council will now make.

London Borough of Merton (21 015 179)

Statement Upheld Council tax 01-Aug-2022

Summary: Mrs X complained there was fault in the way the Council calculated her council tax and communicated with her. I found there was no fault in the actions taken to recover arrears. There was fault in the way the Council initially responded to Mrs X’s complaint, but the Council apologised and rectified this in later correspondence. I found no fault that warranted a remedy for Mrs X.

London Borough of Merton (22 006 164)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 22-Sep-2022

Summary: Miss X complains the Council failed to complete a care assessment appropriately and ignored her parent’s needs. We have upheld this complaint because the Council has agreed to resolve the complaint early by providing a proportionate remedy for the injustice caused by the likely faults.

London Borough of Merton (21 010 255)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 26-Oct-2022

Summary: Mr X complained the Council reduced the direct payments for Ms P’s care and support and took back some of the money it paid. The Council was at fault for failing to properly manage Ms P’s care plan, failing to conduct timely reviews, and for providing misleading information. The Council was also at fault for allowing Ms P’s direct payment fund to build and raising expectations that Ms P could use the money. The Council has agreed to provide a remedy for failing to manage the care plan, raising expectations and distress.

London Borough of Merton (22 011 270)

Statement Upheld Council tax 15-Dec-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an error by the Council which led to it wrongly issuing a court summons for unpaid council tax. The Council has already provided a suitable remedy.