Council tax disputes: know your rights 

We have issued a report warning that many people are not being told about their free right to challenge council tax decisions at the Valuation Tribunal, an independent alternative to a council's own complaints process. We received more than 1,600 council tax complaints last year, many of which we say could have gone straight to the tribunal. Appeal deadlines are strict, typically one to two months, and pursuing a council complaint instead can mean losing that right entirely, even with a strong case. Real cases in the report highlight the consequences of not being informed, including a tenant who queried her bill and later found a bailiff at her door, still unaware she had a right to appeal. Councils are being urged to signpost this option clearly when decisions are made, rather than leaving people to find out too late. Read more

Helping councils and care providers get complaints right

We've launched two new training courses designed to help councils and care providers strengthen how they handle complaints. Our online Effective Complaint Handling course shares best practice on accepting, investigating and deciding complaints. It's aimed at those responsible for investigating and making decisions about complaints. We've recently launched a version tailored specifically for care providers, using examples and scenarios drawn from the sector to make the learning as relevant as possible. Alongside this, we've launched a new module focused on our Complaint Handling Code. This module supports councils in aligning their local complaint handling policies with our Complaint Handling Code. Read more

Making sure your evidence counts: our latest consultation responses

Since our last update, we've had a busy period responding to consultations and inquiries.

We responded to three consultations:

• the Care Quality Commission's draft sector-specific assessment frameworks
• the Department for Education's early years education and childcare market
• the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's plans to improve council tax enforcement

We also responded to two inquiries:

• the Education Committee's inquiry into the Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper, which covers the government's proposed SEND reforms
• the Public Accounts Committee's inquiry into devolving power in England

In each response, we draw on evidence from our casework. This means the lessons from our work reach the people who need to know about them, and nothing gets lost along the way.

Read our responses

We've held our latest Advisory Forum

We recently met with our Advisory Forum, a group made up of people who've previously complained to us, to discuss how we can make things better for everyone who uses our service.

Topics included plans for a new online complaints checker, helping people quickly see if we can look into their issue, and updates to our chatbot which is now handling around 1,200 queries a month. We also shared plans for a clearer, plainer way of communicating, replacing jargon with straightforward language.

Thank you to everyone who took part. Your feedback helps us shape a fairer, easier service for all.

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