Summary: Mr G and Mr H complained the Council refused their businesses grants under schemes set up in March 2020 to support businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finding

The Ombudsman upheld the complaint and found fault causing injustice.

Recommendations

The council has agreed to: 

• review its decision to refuse Mr G a Small Business Grant (SBG) taking account of Government guidance and our analysis. If the review finds Mr G should have received a grant then the Council will make a payment equivalent to what he would have received (the scheme now being closed). The review should be undertaken by an officer not involved in the original decision to refuse Mr G a SBG. The review can request Mr G provide evidence to satisfy the Council he was trading from and occupying the premises he leases on 11 March 2020;
• pay Mr G £100 to reflect the time and trouble he has been put to in making a complaint about its decision;
• pay Mr H’s company (Company B) £25,000 to reflect its non-payment of a Retail, Hospitality and Leisure grant which the business should have received last year; and
• pay Mr H £250 to reflect the time and trouble he has been put to in making a complaint about its decision.
• We also recommend the Council consider its approach moving forward if it is contacted by any other business concerned it did not process their grant application correctly. This could include those who contacted it previously when it did not have any procedure in place to consider such representations. The Council should therefore provide us with a written assurance about how it will treat any such expressions of dissatisfaction it receives from businesses within 12 months of the date of this report. As a minimum we would expect the Council to offer those businesses access to its complaint procedure with input from officers not involved in the decision complained about and to signpost to us if they remain dissatisfied.

Ombudsman satisfied with Council's response: 24 October 2022

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