Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax billing because there is no evidence of fault by the Council causing significant injustice.

The complaint

1. Ms X says that she did not receive a Council tax bill in 2023.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate 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 continue an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

3. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Ms X says that she did not receive a Council tax bill and wrote the Council. The Council sent her an adjustment notice which provided the total amount but she says that this did not provide all the information you would expect to see in a Council tax bill.
7. The Council says that it re-sent the bill to her and asked her to tell them if the new bill was not received. The Council says that the previous bill had been emailed to her (as previous contact had been via email with Ms X). Nevertheless, the Council says it is happy to reissue the bill if still required. The Council has removed any costs caused by the delay.
8. I am satisfied that there is no administrative fault by the Council in issuing the bill. The adjustment notice provided all the information necessary to enable a payment of Council tax to be made. Further, any enforcement costs have been removed which would be a satisfactory remedy to the complaint had there been fault by the Council.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council causing significant injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman