Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refuse service. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. The complain is late and there is no evidence why the complainant could not have contacted us much sooner.

The complaint

1. Mrs X says she has been complaining to the Council about the refuse service since 2014.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Mrs X.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because she has been aware of the problems at the heart of her complaint for ten years. This complaint is late and we have seen no reason why she could not have come to us much sooner.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman