Milton Keynes Council (25 012 409)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 12-Apr-2026

Summary: We uphold Mr X’s complaint. The Council took too long to review Mrs X’s care and support and action his request for additional funding for Mrs X while he was unable to care for her temporarily. It also failed to consider a request for residential respite care and took too long to respond to the complaint. This caused avoidable distress and time and trouble for which the Council has apologised and offered an appropriate payment. The Council will re-offer the payment and provide evidence of the changes to services it says it has made.

West Sussex County Council (25 008 180)

Statement Not upheld Direct payments 07-Apr-2026

Summary: Ms X complains the Council wrongly decided she could not use her direct payment allowance to fund moving house. She says this caused her unnecessary stress and financial strain. We find no fault with the Council’s decision-making.

City of Doncaster Council (25 014 924)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 07-Apr-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about use of a pre-paid card for adult social care costs. Whether there was any fault by the Council in earlier explanations of the use of the card, does not change the outcome. Mr D has spent money from the card for items other than his wife’s care support and is responsible to repay those public funds.

Birmingham City Council (25 015 731)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 12-Mar-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to move Mr X’s direct payment’s to a managed account. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant our involvement.

West Northamptonshire Council (25 004 420)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 12-Mar-2026

Summary: Miss X complained the Council changed the expenses it would allow under direct payments. We found fault as the Council’s communication with Miss X was not in line with our expected standards. The Council will apologise, make a symbolic payment and provide information to Miss X.

Leeds City Council (25 015 878)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 11-Mar-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council considered Miss B’s disability related and cultural haircare needs when it applied its charging policy on disability related expenditure. The Council remedied the injustice caused to Miss B when it investigated her complaint.

London Borough of Newham (24 019 876)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 17-Feb-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to block Mr X’s direct payment account. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant our involvement.

London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (25 005 803)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 13-Feb-2026

Summary: Ms X complains about the Council’s actions following Y’s transition into adult social care. We found the Council underfunded direct payments and failed to provide clear care and support plans. It also delayed providing a complaint response. This is fault. It caused undue distress to Ms X and disrupted the care Y was entitled to receive. The Council agreed actions to remedy the injustice caused.

London Borough of Enfield (25 014 917)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 12-Feb-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to stop Mr X’s direct payments. This is because the complaint is late; it would have been reasonable for Mr X to complain sooner.

West Sussex County Council (25 013 442)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 11-Feb-2026

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a Council decision that it will no longer accept his relative, Ms Y, as his advocate during his adult social care support planning and reviews. There is insufficient evidence of fault to justify an investigation.