The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Miss X complaint about the Council using an Attachment of Earnings Order to collect Council Tax arrears. Miss X has known about this for more than 12 months and we should not disapply the 12 month rule.
The complaint
Miss X says the Council should not have imposed an Attachment of Earnings order in November 2022 for Council Tax arrears.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
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)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by Miss X which includes the Council’s reply.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Miss X says she paid £5 a week towards her Council Tax arrears from 2018 to 2022. She says in November 2022 the Council changed its collection method to an Attachment of Earnings Order (AoE). She questioned it at the time. She says the monthly amounts collected mean she has struggled financially. She complained to the Council in May 2025. The Council explained why it had and could do so.
We cannot investigate complaints about events known to Miss X for more than 12 months without good reasons. Here there are not. Miss X complained to us about a separate unrelated issue in April 2024, but did not mention this issue. And she questioned the AoE at the time in November 2022 with the Council.
Final decision
We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there are no reasons to justify disapplying the late complaint rule.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman