The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint that the Council failed to inform her about a bin exchange scheme. The claimed injustice is not significant enough to warrant our involvement.
The complaint
Ms X complained the Council failed to inform her about a bin exchange scheme. The Council offered residents the opportunity to exchange their waste bin free of charge for a larger bin for a period. Ms X said she was not informed of this opportunity and did not apply in time for the scheme. Ms X said the Council told her she would need to pay £30 for a larger bin if she wanted one.
Ms X said the matter caused her frustration.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
We will not investigate this complaint. Our role is to consider complaints where the person bringing the complaint has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the organisation. This means we will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm, or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss or injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
Ms X said the Council told her she would need to pay £30 for a larger bin because she did not apply during the period the exchange scheme ran. Having to pay £30 for a larger bin is not a significant enough injustice to warrant in investigation by the Ombudsman, and so we will not investigate this complaint.
Final decision
We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because her claimed injustice is not significant enough.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman