The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax arrears because the problem has been resolved.
The complaint
The complainant, Mr X, complains about council tax arrears that arose through circumstances beyond his control.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council. This includes an update from the Council. I also considered our Assessment Code.
My assessment
The Council assessed Mr X’s case in early October. It removed all the costs and issued a new bill. It spread out the payments so Mr X will not be paying any more than before.
Final decision
We will not investigate this complaint because the problem has been resolved.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman