The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of a request for reasonable adjustments. It is late and there is no good reason to exercise discretion and investigate now.
The complaint
Ms X complained the Council is not providing letters in a large print format, despite her saying she previously requested this as a reasonable adjustment.
Ms X said this means she is unable to keep up with important information from the Council without the assistance of others.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
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 the complainant and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Ms X complained that the Council continues to send her letters in a standard format, although she said that she requested large print letters around three years ago.
Ms X complained to the Council in May 2024 and it issued its final response in June 2024.
The law says a complaint must be made to the Ombudsman within 12 months of the complainant becoming aware of the matter. Ms X had been aware of the issue for over three years before she came to us. Therefore, her complaint is late and we have seen no reason why she could not have made it sooner.
Final decision
We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because it is late and we have seen no reason to exercise discretion and investigate it now.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman