London Borough of Croydon (23 005 158)
Category : Benefits and tax > Local welfare payments
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 20 Aug 2023
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about welfare payments because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.
The complaint
- Ms X complains that the Council unreasonably refused her a welfare payment.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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:
- 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, or
- .
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Ms X had previously received welfare payments from the Council as she needed help to pay bills (such as electricity and water bills). In 2023 she made a further claim for help with her bills.
- The Council advised her that they could assist with £75 of shopping vouchers but could not offer more as they were prioritising those who had not received payments previously.
- The Council’s Welfare Payments scheme is entirely discretionary and it is a matter for the Council to decide to whom payments can be made and for what items.
- The Ombudsman is not an appeal body. This means we do not take a second look at a decision to decide if it was wrong. Instead, we look at the processes an organisation followed to make its decision. If we consider it followed those processes correctly, we cannot question whether the decision was right or wrong, regardless of whether you disagree with the decision the organisation made.
- I am satisfied that the Council has properly considered the claim. In the absence of procedural fault, the Ombudsman cannot question that decision.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman