Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council issuing two council tax bills at once, as the remaining injustice to Miss X is not sufficient to warrant our further involvement.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains the Council sent her council tax bills for two year’s liability, amounting to around £2800, at the same time, and to be paid within a period of 14 days. Miss X wants the Council to cancel the council tax for the period when she was waiting to hear what council tax she would pay on her new build home.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Ombudsman investigates 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 or may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained or the justice is not significant enough to justify our involvement (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

5. Miss X moved into a new build property in 2018 and says that over the next two years, she asked the Council several times about what council tax needed to be paid, but received no clarification. Miss X complains that after her property was banded in 2020, the Council sent her bills for two year’s liability, to be paid within a period of 14 days.
6. Miss X agreed an extended payment plan with the Council to clear the bills but says this has impacted on her financially. Miss X remains unhappy about how this was handled and considers the Council should bear the cost of the council tax for the period Miss X was waiting to hear what she should pay.
7. From the information I have, it is not clear why it took two years for the property to be banded and for bills to be issued. However, during this time, it was incumbent upon Miss X to have budgeted for council tax, in anticipation of the time when a bill was issued. The Council cannot therefore be held responsible for the financial impact on Miss X of having to pay the tax.
8. Miss X did spend some time trying to get clarification about what was owed and was no doubt shocked to receive a large bill with a demand for immediate payment. However, even if these issues were as a result of Council fault, I do not consider this represents a level of injustice that would warrant our involvement, particularly as Miss X was able to agree a payment plan with the Council.
9. For these reasons, we will not investigate.

Back to top

Final decision

10. We will not investigate this complaint because the remaining injustice to Miss X is not sufficient to warrant our involvement.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman