Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an application for council tax reduction and a claim for compensation. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault causing injustice.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Mr X, says the Council delayed processing his claim for Council Tax Reduction (CTR) but has not offered compensation.

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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 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.

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

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council. This includes the complaint correspondence. I also considered our Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. Mr X applied for CTR on 26 August 2024. The Council issued a council tax bill before it had processed the CTR. Mr X complained because he had received a bill which did not include the CTR.
5. The Council awarded CTR on 18 September and issued a new bill on the same day. The new bill showed Mr X’s council tax had been reduced.
6. The Council apologised for the delay in processing the CTR and because Mr X had found the first bill threatening.
7. I will not start an investigation because there is insufficient evidence of fault causing injustice. The Council took a little over three weeks to process the CTR; this is not a delay which amounts to fault requiring an investigation. In addition, in the period between the two bills, Mr X did not incur any costs and the Council did not take recovery action. I appreciate Mr X may have felt worried or distressed by receiving a bill without the CTR, but it was quickly corrected and the impact is not one that requires compensation or an investigation.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault causing injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman