Summary: Ms X complains the Council should not have charged her a summons fee for unpaid council tax. The Ombudsman will not investigate as there has been insufficient fault on the Council’s part to warrant investigation.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision that the complainant must repay an overpayment of housing benefit. The complainant has a right of appeal to a tribunal against the Council’s decision.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint that the Council has recovered too much money from the complainant regarding a housing benefit overpayment from 2002. This is because it is a late complaint, matters have been considered in court and by the tribunal, and because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s refusal to award Council Tax Reduction and the loss of his documents. Mr X has a right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. The Information Commissioner’s Office is the body best placed to deal with his complaint about the loss of his data.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the complainant’s council tax band because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and because the complainant could appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: Mr X complains that the Council says it paid him benefits in 2015 which he denies. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because this matter is out of time.

Summary: Miss B complains the Council failed to advise her that she needed to claim Universal Credit to get help with housing costs. The Ombudsman finds the Council did appropriately advise Miss B on this matter when it wrote to her within a reasonable time of receiving her claim form for housing benefit. Although Miss B did not receive the letter, that was not as a result of fault by the Council.

Summary: Mrs X complains that the Council did not pay her the full housing benefit for a tenant and gave inappropriate advice to the tenant. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: Ms X complains about the Council’s decision to refuse her Housing Benefit and Discretionary Hardship Payment (DHP) claims. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because she has appealed to a tribunal.

Summary: Mr X complains that the Council unreasonably issued a summons for unpaid council tax. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a council tax bill. This is because the complaint is late and it would have been reasonable for Mr X to use the appeal rights available to him.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council used a wrong address to send Council Tax information resulting in added enforcement and court fees. The Ombudsman should not investigate this complaint. This is because it is unlikely an investigation would find fault or add anything to the Council’s own investigation.

Summary: Ms X complains that the Council has not awarded her a single occupancy council tax discount and it served a summons on her whilst she appealed to a Valuation Tribunal. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because she has appealed to a Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: Ms X complained about the costs and fees charged by the Council when it recovered council tax arrears from her. The Ombudsman finds the Council was at fault for taking action contrary to its published procedure. The Council has agreed to refund the £75 compliance fee it charged.

Summary: Miss X complained about the way the Council handled her council tax account, an unnecessary instruction of bailiffs and the way it dealt with her complaint. This caused her distress and inconvenience. The Council has accepted it was at fault and offered a suitable remedy during the investigation.