Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council not giving Miss X a self-isolation support payment.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains the Council refused to give her a self-isolation support payment because she did not have a personal identification number from NHS Track and Trace. She states this caused financial hardship.

Back to top

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 effect on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start an investigation if the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant, copy correspondence from the Council and the government’s information for the public and councils from the relevant time.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

5. The government’s information for the public and its guidance for councils both said applicants had to provide their personal NHS Test and Trace identification number for the Council to be able to make a self-isolation support payment. Miss X states NHS Test and Trace did not give her that number when telling her to self-isolate. However, that is not the Council’s fault and it does not mean I can fault the Council for refusing to give Miss X a payment in the absence of an identification number.
6. Miss X gave the Council evidence of her child’s positive COVID-19 test and of NHS Test and Trace saying her child must self-isolate. She argued it should therefore have been obvious to the Council that Miss X herself had to self-isolate as she and her child were in the same household. I note this, but it does not mean the Council was at fault for following the government’s guidance.

Back to top

Final decision

7. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence the Council was at fault.

Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman