Pension credit take-up
Low take-up of Pension Credit among eligible low-income pensioner households, leading to significant financial disadvantage.
Source spread
Where this theme appears
This theme appears across 3 independent accountability sources, so the source mix matters as much as the headline total.
115 committee recs
3 PHSO decisions
67 LGO/SPSO decisions
Browse by source
Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.
Select committee recommendations(115)— showing 50 strongest matches
#21 —
Recommendation: The DWP and Welsh Government should work together with local authorities to run a take-up campaign on Pension Credit, with messaging designed to both raise awareness but also address any reservations some older people may have about claiming it.
Gov response: The Department for Work and Pensions is undertaking a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit and encourage eligible pensioners to claim, as part of a new national communications campaign, launched on 4 …
Position Not Stated
#16 —
Recommendation: We asked the exchequer departments when they would take action on the issue of workers not receiving pension tax relief.27 HM Treasury said the Government recognises the different impacts of the two systems of paying pension tax relief on pension …
Gov response: The Government recognises the different impacts of the two systems of paying pension tax relief on pension contributions for workers earning below the personal allowance. It referred to the Government’s announcement in Budget 2020 that …
Not Addressed
#15 —
Recommendation: We were concerned that the lack of available information on some large reliefs had meant that it was not possible for HMRC and HM Treasury to know whether all of those who were expected to benefit had been able to …
Gov response: 2.4 The Government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2021 2.5 HMRC will publish data showing who is benefitting from pensions reliefs to the extent data is available. HMRC publishes annual statistics …
Accepted
#10 —
Recommendation: Tax reliefs on pensions contributions, designed to encourage people to save for their own personal pensions, are among the largest tax reliefs. HMRC forecast that the gross cost of these reliefs totalled £38 billion in 2018–19.18 We were concerned by …
Gov response: 1.3 The Government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 1.4 The Government has undertaken several consultations on aspects of pensions tax relief over the last few years, including: a. Pensions tax relief administration: call for evidence …
Not Accepted
#21 —
Recommendation: The line between advice and guidance is a continuing issue of debate. There is demand for both enhanced guidance and limited advice, but there is reluctance from the industry to operate too close to the advice/guidance boundary and resistance to …
Gov response: We understand that the FCA will be responding to this recommendation separately.
Position Not Stated
#20 —
Recommendation: The Pension Advice Allowance allows £500 to be withdrawn from a pension up to three times in different tax years for advice. Either because of a lack of awareness or lack of demand the policy is not working. Its design …
Gov response: The government believes that individuals should be trusted with their own hard-earned savings and have a choice about how to access their pension income. The government introduced the Pensions Advice Allowance (PAA) in 2017 in …
Position Not Stated
#19 —
Recommendation: Advice is a personalised recommendation that can only be provided by a regulated firm at a cost. Few people seem to be willing to pay for financial advice for the decisions they make about their pension savings—even though doing so …
Gov response: The Government does not support setting a goal for the combined use of Pension Wise and paid-for advice when accessing pots for the first time. However, in light of Tom McPhail’s 2021 Departmental Review of …
Response Not Attributed
#17 —
Recommendation: The “stronger nudges” towards guidance being proposed by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Financial Conduct Authority will not be enough to make receiving pensions guidance the norm. The Money and Pensions Service told us that it would …
Gov response: We disagree with the proposal to automatically book Pension Wise appointments. We believe that there are significant issues with this approach, both at age 50 and at the point of first access. It is important …
Position Not Stated
#16 —
Recommendation: Pension Wise is a well-regarded but under-utilised service. The pension freedoms will be seen as a failure if savers make poor decisions without receiving the guidance they were promised when the freedoms were introduced. The Minister for Pensions and Financial …
Gov response: The Government does not support setting a goal for the combined use of Pension Wise and paid-for advice when accessing pots for the first time. However, in light of Tom McPhail’s 2021 Departmental Review of …
Position Not Stated
#20 —
Recommendation: We received evidence regarding a lack of awareness among the wider public of key benefits, most notably Pension Credit. The UK Government should address this directly through a UK-wide income maximisation campaign and design its messaging so that it not …
Gov response: The Department for Work and Pensions is undertaking a range of actions to raise awareness of Pension Credit and encourage eligible pensioners to claim, as part of a new national communications campaign, launched on 4 …
Response Not Attributed
#9 —
Recommendation: The number of self-employed people saving in a pension has declined since the late1990s when it was around 48%, to around 16%. This is in stark contrast to the 88% of workers eligible for auto-enrolment participating in pension saving. Trials …
Gov response: The government is committed to make retirement saving simpler for self-employed people. The learnings from the trialling and research programme delivered through Nest Insight has provided a useful platform to move forward, helping us to …
Not Addressed
#4 — Require government to ensure and promote social tariffs for older people, strengthening regulation.
Recommendation: Social broadband and mobile phone tariffs can allow eligible low-income households to make significant savings on their bills, yet few eligible older people are aware of them. The Government should work with groups representing older people and broadband and mobile …
Gov response: The government welcomes the Committee’s recommendation. We agree that access to connectivity services is increasingly essential. We also recognise that broadband and mobile services may not be affordable for those on very low incomes. We …
Accepted
#16 — Hard-to-reach households showed low take-up of alternative energy support funding schemes.
Recommendation: Take–up of the energy bills support schemes was lower among harder–to–reach households that did not receive a payment directly from their energy supplier; 41 and may have been affected disproportionately by energy price fluctuations.42 These households did not receive an …
Gov response: 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2025 3.2 The Warm Home Discount scheme currently supports over 3 million low income and fuel poor households with an annual energy bills …
Partially Accepted
#20 — Existing DWP trust issues impact older people's willingness to claim benefits.
Recommendation: The Minister referred to the reputation of the Department and the reluctance of people to engage with it. We know that trust issues exist between working age people and the Department, and these will endure as they reach pension age. …
Gov response: To strengthen our communications approach, we are embedding messaging that positions DWP as a supportive service dedicated to helping people access their entitlements. This includes developing accessible materials in digital and print format, including resources …
Not Addressed
#19 — Pride and reluctance remain key barriers to Pension Credit take-up.
Recommendation: We welcome the Government’s commitment to increase Pension Credit take-up and progress so far, with 60,000 additional awards since July 2024. Long experience and extensive research demonstrate that the main barriers to claiming relate to pride, not wanting to ask …
Gov response: The Department has made significant progress in implementing ‘place-based’ promotion through trusted advocates/ partners as part of our nationwide Pension Credit stakeholder outreach campaign. We also engage with all councils in Great Britain through regular …
Accepted
#12 — Winter Fuel Payment changes created significant uncertainty and anxiety among older pensioners
Recommendation: Our predecessor Committee is amongst those that have criticised Winter Fuel Payments for being poorly targeted and a ‘blunt instrument’ for tackling fuel poverty. As a universal payment, WFP went to pensioners who did not need it, and its real …
Response Not Attributed
#23 —
Recommendation: DWP should commission research on: the extent of pension and non- pension savings held by pre-pensioners on Universal Credit and how they are drawing on them; and the extent to which pre-pensioners who are eligible for Universal Credit are not …
Response Pending
#18 —
Recommendation: We heard widespread support for this but less consensus on what form it should take. On balance we support increasing the level of Universal Credit (UC) for all recipients in the year before State Pension age because it has a …
Response Pending
#16 —
Recommendation: Older prisoners can experience greater levels of institutionalisation and be less able to live independently following their release compared to younger cohorts. Many will require additional support to prepare them to re-join society. Release programmes and guidance that are age …
Gov response: • Under the new resettlement model, pre-release planning with a service user will now include face to face interaction with a National Probation Service responsible community offender manager. These offender managers will be in a …
Position Not Stated
#14 —
Recommendation: The Pension Schemes Act 2021 will allow people’s statutory right to transfer from their pension scheme to be restricted where there are signs of a pension scam. Regulations will be developed by DWP and are expected to be in place …
Gov response: The Department is working closely with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), The Pensions Regulator (TPR), the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) and others on the regulations underpinning the Pension Schemes Act 2021, and launched its …
Response Not Attributed
#28 —
Recommendation: Pensions dashboards will change how people engage with their pension savings. Dashboards will also provide an important additional tool which can be used by those providing guidance or advice to savers. We recommend that the Money and Pensions Service should …
Gov response: Individuals wishing to use dashboards will be able to delegate access to MaPS guiders or authorised financial advisers who have the relevant permissions under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to advise on investments …
Position Not Stated
#11 —
Recommendation: Pension Credit provides vital support for pensioners, yet some 850,000 eligible households do not claim it. The rising cost of living means this must now be urgently addressed. The Government’s efforts are focused on a communications campaign. The Committee heard, …
Gov response: The 850,000 figure is an estimate based on the Family Resources Survey. The Department does not consider that a written strategy or targets for take-up of Pension Credit are required, given the work it is …
Not Accepted
#11 — Devise and implement policy addressing unfairness for low-income pensioners missing Pension Credit.
Recommendation: We commend the Government’s efforts to promote Pension Credit to those entitled to it, though there is still more to do to increase take-up as we remarked on in our July 2022 Cost of Living report. We remain concerned that …
Gov response: Pension Credit provides additional support with daily living costs for people who are over State Pension age and on the lowest incomes. Pensioners with a severe disability, carers and those who are responsible for a …
Position Not Stated
#17 — Communication failures hampered support scheme reach to vulnerable households in need
Recommendation: Although the Department worked with local authorities on some of the schemes aimed at households who were harder to reach,44 the low take–up suggests that this approach did not identify all those in need.45 The Department said that it attempted …
Gov response: 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: December 2025 3.2 The Warm Home Discount scheme currently supports over 3 million low income and fuel poor households with an annual energy bills …
Partially Accepted
#28 — Government recognises need for improved data sharing to increase means-tested benefits take-up.
Recommendation: We welcome the Government’s recognition of the importance of better data sharing arrangements to increase take-up of means-tested benefits, and the work it is doing to address the issues. (Conclusion, Paragraph 141)
Gov response: The Department already shares extensive data with local authorities. There are currently 28 bulk data shares with local authorities, some of which also include HMRC data, where information is shared between DWP and local authorities …
Response Not Attributed
#27 — Encourage using Crisis and Resilience fund for benefits take-up and assess advice sector capacity needs.
Recommendation: When the guidance is produced, it should encourage the use of the Crisis and Resilience fund for benefit take-up work. The Government should assess what more is needed to increase the advice sector capacity needed to support this work. (Recommendation, …
Gov response: The Crisis and Resilience Fund will enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities in order to improve individuals’ financial resilience. The Government recognises the importance of maximising benefit take-up in preventing financial crisis …
Position Not Stated
#25 — Develop a national strategy for benefits take-up in England and monitor local authority performance.
Recommendation: DWP should develop a strategy for benefits take-up in England by the end of 2025. It should work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop a framework for monitoring local authority work on take up and …
Gov response: The Government notes the Committee’s recommendation. Many local authorities undertake activities to promote benefit take-up. DWP’s Local Authority Partnership, Engagement and Delivery (LA-PED) team support local authorities in the delivery of Housing Benefit and other …
Position Not Stated
#24 — Many local authorities lack resources to coordinate effective benefits take-up support.
Recommendation: Effective take-up work requires, firstly, face to face support and encouragement from trusted individuals and organisations on the ground. The complexity of the benefits system means that expert welfare rights advice is often also needed. In some areas, local authorities, …
Gov response: The Department already has resource plans in place to ensure claims to Pension Credit and other benefits are processed in a timely manner. These plans are reviewed on a regular basis to reflect the volumes …
Response Not Attributed
#23 — Include caring questions in Pension Credit and raise awareness for UC claimants about entitlement.
Recommendation: The Government should include questions on caring responsibilities in the Pension Credit application and implement provisions in the Welfare Reform Act 2012 to allow direct access to the carer addition in Pension Credit without a claim for Carer’s Allowance. It …
Gov response: The Government acknowledges that the current system which requires a person to claim Carer’s Allowance (CA)—which for most pensioners will not be payable alongside the State Pension—in order to qualify for an additional amount in …
Position Not Stated
#21 — Allocate resources for efficient claims, provide expert advice, and promote benefits proactively.
Recommendation: The Department should put in place the resources needed to process claims in an efficient and timely manner and helpline advisers able to give the advice needed to navigate the system in more complex cases. The Government communications on social …
Gov response: The Department already has resource plans in place to ensure claims to Pension Credit and other benefits are processed in a timely manner. These plans are reviewed on a regular basis to reflect the volumes …
Position Not Stated
#11 — 2024/25 Winter Fuel Payment eligibility poorly targeted, while 2025/26 reforms are welcomed
Recommendation: For winter 2024/25, the Government linked eligibility for the Winter Fuel Payment to receipt of Pension Credit. This removed the payment from many who needed it and set the bar for continued payment too low. Up to 760,000 pensioner households …
Response Not Attributed
#1 — Pensioner poverty has risen since 2010, leaving millions below the Minimum Income Standard.
Recommendation: The reductions in pensioner poverty in the late 1990s and 2000s, with the introduction of Pension Credit, were a success. However, we are concerned that from 2010 rates started to rise again. And the latest data on living standards paints …
Gov response: The Government remains steadfast in its commitment to support pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement. The last Labour Government lifted over one million pensioners out of poverty. It introduced …
Response Not Attributed
#37 —
Recommendation: DWP should commission research to find out more about these low levels of awareness and whether there are practical steps that it could take to improve outcomes (for example, in relation to benefit take-up). (Recommendation, Paragraph 142)
Response Pending
#33 —
Recommendation: More than 15 years on from its introduction, the government should commission and publish analysis of the impact of the mixed age couple rule on those affected and how this will change as the State Pension age rises to 67. …
Response Pending
#36 —
Recommendation: Members of schemes where professional trustees are appointed can face long waits to receive any recovered assets, even if a significant proportion of the assets are recovered. Often because of the costs associated with providing communications to members, which are …
Gov response: It is unlikely to be in a member’s best interest to transfer out of a scheme before attempts to recover assets have been concluded. Savers who left the scheme early would potentially miss out on …
Position Not Stated
#33 —
Recommendation: HMRC has been described as “unrelenting and uncompromising” in the pursuit of unauthorised payment charges. While the position taken by HMRC is legally correct, it has often lacked empathy or understanding of impact that its demands have on victims. We …
Gov response: Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) aims to treat all of its customers with empathy and respect. This includes tailoring its approach to individual customer needs where additional support is required. In circumstances where tax …
Position Not Stated
#30 —
Recommendation: Project Bloom is a multi-agency task force set up to tackle pension fraud in 2012. It is not a statutory body and receives no dedicated funding. The members of Project Bloom have argued convincingly to us that it has the …
Gov response: We support this recommendation. Project Bloom continues to have a significant role to play. However, the establishment of the NECC has placed inter-agency cooperation on a more formal footing than previously, and the NECC has …
Response Not Attributed
#28 —
Recommendation: Regulators exist to protect savers and not enable scammers. Where a regulator has failed in this fundamental duty they should be held accountable. We recommend that the Government review the recourse available to pension scam victims when the actions of …
Gov response: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is taking action to increase consumer awareness of investment scams and the common tactics fraudsters use. It has stressed the importance of rejecting unsolicited offers, getting impartial advice and checking …
Position Not Stated
#25 —
Recommendation: There are many bodies with potentially overlapping enforcement responsibilities relating to pension scams. These include, but are not necessarily limited to: the Pensions Regulator, the FCA, the Insolvency Service, HMRC, Information Commissioner’s Office, the police service, the Serious Fraud Office, …
Gov response: The Government and Project Bloom members agree that a publicly available description of its members and their respective roles and responsibilities would be a beneficial next step, and this is an action from its recently …
Position Not Stated
#22 —
Recommendation: When the pension freedoms were introduced, a guidance guarantee was presented as a key pillar of the reforms supporting people making use of the new range of choices available to them. Everyone with a defined contribution pension is entitled to …
Gov response: Pension Wise appointments are used to help people understand their options when accessing a Defined Contribution pension. While the appointment 14 Responses to the Committee’s Fifth Report of Session 2019–21 does have a section on …
Position Not Stated
#15 —
Recommendation: The regulations will identify potential indicators of a pension scam which would raise either red or amber flags. A red flag would allow a transfer to be blocked and an amber flag would allow a transfer to be paused until …
Gov response: The Government has recently announced that, following close engagement with a broad range of stakeholders, online fraud will be included in scope of the Online Safety Bill. This means that companies in scope of regulation …
Under Consideration
#11 —
Recommendation: The pensions industry does not universally share information about possible scams amongst providers and schemes. Information can be, and is, shared voluntarily, including through the Pension Scams Industry Group and the forum it supports— the Pension Scams Industry Forum. WWee …
Gov response: The Government agrees with this recommendation and it fits within the plans of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to review the policy. Scams are ever evolving and DWP recognises the importance of making …
Accepted
#9 —
Recommendation: We heard repeatedly about a worrying trend of secondary scammers—scammers targeting people who have already been the victim of a pension scam. People who have not reported their case to an appropriate body—or who have done so but not received …
Gov response: We agree the issue of secondary scammers awareness must be increased and it is an important issue. The Money and Pensions Service also provide guidance on secondary scammers. The Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct …
Response Not Attributed
#8 —
Recommendation: The aftermath of a pension scam can leave a victim needing to deal with several different bodies without much guidance or support. For many victims Action Fraud is the first point of contact and for those for whom it is …
Gov response: Action Fraud is the national reporting service for fraud and cybercrime. Reports are submitted, considered by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, and disseminated to forces for investigation where there is a viable line of enquiry. …
Position Not Stated
#7 —
Recommendation: Many victims of pension scams never report that they have been scammed. Others report a long time after it has taken place. Scam victims reasonably expect that, when they make a report to Action Fraud, it will be acted upon. …
Gov response: The City of London Police (CoLP) are the National Lead Force for fraud, and responsible for the delivery of the Action Fraud Service. They are an active member of Project Bloom and report into them …
Position Not Stated
#6 —
Recommendation: At present there is no universal definition of pension scams and the range of potential activity which could be classed as a scam runs from sharp practice all the way to outright fraud. Project Bloom, the multi-agency taskforce set up …
Gov response: The existing Pension Scams Industry Group definition was developed by Project Bloom in 2016 following consultation with all partners. Pension scams can be particularly harmful due to the impact on people’s retirement provision for later …
Position Not Stated
#5 —
Recommendation: We recommend that Project Bloom, the multi-agency taskforce set up to tackle pension scams, should develop a range of measures to enable a better understanding of the scale of pension scamming, rather than relying solely on the current Action Fraud …
Gov response: Both the Government and Project Bloom members recognise the difficulty in determining the scale of pension scams and the barrier this creates in effectively tackling the problem. We accept the Committee’s observation that the real …
Position Not Stated
#4 —
Recommendation: The real scale of pension scamming is undoubtedly much larger than the £30 million reported to Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, between 2017 and August 2020. We have even heard examples of individual cases …
Gov response: Both the Government and Project Bloom members recognise the difficulty in determining the scale of pension scams and the barrier this creates in effectively tackling the problem. We accept the Committee’s observation that the real …
Response Not Attributed
#2 —
Recommendation: The pension freedoms gave people more choice in how they use their money to meet their own needs. However, by offering pension savers access to a much wider range of investments, the freedoms also removed much of the distinction between …
Gov response: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Treasury already work collaboratively on these issues, including through Project Bloom, and recognise the importance of doing so to address the vulnerabilities the fraudsters exploit. This …
Response Not Attributed
#1 —
Recommendation: The pension freedoms gave people the freedom to choose what to do with their money. On balance these changes have been a success and we do not want to see them rolled back. However, many savers need more support than …
Gov response: The government is fully committed to providing savers with the relevant information and support in order for them to make appropriate decisions when they access their pension. Until we know more about what is already …
Response Not Attributed
PHSO casework decisions(3)
P-002290 — Department for Work and Pensions
Mr A complained DWP wrongly ended his Pension Credit claim in 2018 due to a lodger, causing him financial and health problems.
UK Government
Nov 2023
P-003887 — Department for Work and Pensions
Mr and Dr A complained DWP did not adequately support them with Carer’s Allowance, Attendance Allowance, and Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), ignoring requests and causing stress.
UK Government
Jul 2023
P-002191 — Department for Work and Pensions
Mr X complained the DWP poorly managed an investigation into third-party fraud using his details and did not provide enough information to prevent future false applications. He also complained about ICE's delay.
UK Government
Jul 2023
LGO / SPSO decisions(67)
21-011-872 — West Northamptonshire Council
Summary: Mr N complains about the Council not providing calculations of his council tax reduction awards. He also complains about the Council’s decision on one of those awards. We uphold the complaint about the calculations. But we have not looked at the substantive issue about the decision. That is because …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
May 2022
24-001-162 — Brighton & Hove City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to award Mr X a council tax exemption. This is because Mr X has right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal and it would be reasonable for him to use it.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
May 2024
25-000-292 — Buckinghamshire Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the council tax empty homes premium. This is because the Council will invite the complainant to apply for discretionary financial support.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
May 2025
25-000-716 — Buckinghamshire Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a late council tax bill. This is because there is insufficient evidence of injustice.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Jun 2025
24-023-432 — Cherwell District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council told Mr X about his council tax appeal right. There is not enough evidence of fault.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Jun 2025
24-016-673 — Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Summary: Mr X complained the Council wrongly pursued enforcement action for unpaid council tax after it had closed his account. We found the Council was at fault for failing to withdraw court costs when it closed the account, which led to avoidable enforcement action. This caused Mr X and his …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Jun 2025
24-010-029 — London Borough of Ealing
Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate the Council’s recovery of a council tax debt from 2023. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mr X could not have complained to us sooner. We have no discretion …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Jun 2025
25-002-094 — Burnley Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about difficulties the complainant had setting up a new direct debit to pay his council tax. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault causing injustice.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Jun 2025
24-022-065 — North Norfolk District Council
We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about Council Tax and Non-domestic rates liability. This is because parts of the complaint has been considered in Court proceedings and the law does not allow us to investigate in these circumstances. And parts of the complaint about billing faults are late and …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Jun 2025
24-010-703 — Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a council tax bill. The Council amended the bill following Mr X’s complaint and further investigation would not achieve a different outcome. It is reasonable for Mr X to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal about the Council’s refusal to apply a …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Dec 2024
21-017-467 — Darlington Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this council tax complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. In addition, the complainant could appeal to the Valuation Tribunal or contact the Valuation Office.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Apr 2022
22-000-215 — North Norfolk District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal to provide exemption from council tax for Mr X’s property because he could appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Apr 2022
21-018-195 — Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council says the complainant must pay full council tax even though he gets pension credit. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
May 2022
22-003-287 — Slough Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to award a council tax energy rebate in a woman’s case. This is because we could not add substantively to the Council’s own response regarding this matter or achieve a different outcome.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Jul 2022
22-005-917 — Southend-on-Sea City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision on Mr X’s application for council tax support as he can appeal against it to the Valuation Tribunal.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Aug 2022
22-004-876 — Westminster City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with Ms X’s council tax support. That is because it has agreed to issue a letter to Ms X to enable her to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal and pay her £100 for any avoidable frustration caused.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Aug 2022
22-007-388 — Spelthorne Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the complainant’s council tax band. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Sep 2022
22-005-631 — Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council calculated Mr X’s council tax support. That is because the Valuation Tribunal is best placed to consider complaints about council tax.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Sep 2022
22-010-273 — Canterbury City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council refusing to allow Miss X full council tax reduction from August 2020, failing to offer her financial compensation, and about poor complaint handling. This is because the alleged fault has not caused any significant injustice to Miss X. In addition, …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Nov 2022
23-020-905 — Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a council tax liability dispute. This is because it was reasonable for Mr X to have used his right to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
May 2024
24-000-893 — Cherwell District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the application of a 100% premium to his Council tax as he could appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
May 2024
24-000-236 — Wakefield City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about entitlement to a Council tax discount because there is a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
May 2024
24-000-222 — North Somerset Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax exemption as there is a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
May 2024
23-017-417 — Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: Mr X complained the Council sent council tax bills and correspondence to an incorrect address and wrongly obtained a liability order against him. The Council’s errors in updating Mr X’s contact details and in sending bills and court summons to an unrelated address and obtaining a liability order are …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Jul 2024
24-005-742 — Colchester City Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr C’s complaint about the information on the Council’s website about council tax support. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Jul 2024
24-003-466 — London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an administrative error related to Mr X's council tax account. The Council has accepted fault, apologised and offered to defer the outstanding council tax owed over the next financial year. This is an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused. It is unlikely …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Jul 2024
25-006-432 — Wealden District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a council tax matter. This is because
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Sep 2025
25-009-301 — Leicester City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Mr X’s council tax liability, as he has the right to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. The Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to deal with Mr X’s concerns about a data breach.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Oct 2025
25-008-119 — Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s recovery of council tax from 2022 for a property for which Ms X disputes liability. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Ms X could …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Nov 2025
25-009-794 — London Borough of Newham
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council handling of Mr X’s council tax account. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Nov 2025
25-009-337 — East Suffolk Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s pursuit of Mr X for council tax arrears. This is because an investigation would not result in a different outcome for Mr X.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Nov 2025
25-009-842 — London Borough of Brent
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Ms X’s council tax account. This is because the Council has already taken suitable action.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Nov 2025
25-005-605 — Chesterfield Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to inform Mrs X about claiming a council tax discount which she was not entitled to for over three years. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Nov 2025
24-009-847 — Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax support as there is no evidence of fault by the Council and there is a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Nov 2024
24-011-889 — Torbay Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax payments because the matter has been remedied and part of the complaint is out of time.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Nov 2024
24-012-458 — Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to collect council tax arrears through an attachment of earnings order. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Nov 2024
24-009-934 — London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax banding because there is a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Dec 2024
24-014-405 — City of York Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax discounts because there is a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Dec 2024
24-014-356 — Durham County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an alleged data breach due to the way the Council sent documents to the complainant. This is because it is a matter for the Information Commissioner and because the Council has provided a satisfactory response.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Dec 2024
24-014-254 — Peterborough City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax liability because the complainant can use his appeal rights.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Dec 2024
24-013-958 — London Borough of Harrow
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision regarding his application for council tax support. This is because it is reasonable to expect Mr X to ask the Council for a review.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Dec 2024
24-014-962 — Bassetlaw District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision that the complainant is not entitled to Council Tax Reduction. This is because the complainant can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Dec 2024
24-012-743 — Birmingham City Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council Tax liability. This is because Mr X has or had the right to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal and it is reasonable to expect Mr X to use or to have used that right, we cannot investigate court action and it …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Dec 2024
24-012-177 — London Borough of Croydon
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Ms X’s council tax payments. This is because an investigation is unlikely to add to that already carried out by the Council or lead to a significantly different outcome.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Dec 2024
24-012-131 — Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council issuing a summons for non-payment of council tax. this complaint which was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mr X could not have complained to us sooner.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Dec 2024
23-020-598 — Sheffield City Council
Summary: Ms X complained the Council pursued historic council tax debts without providing a clear explanation or following correct procedures. She said the Council seeking to recover a debt after a long period affected her wellbeing and financial circumstances. We have found the Council at fault for administrative errors which …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Dec 2024
201101617 — The City of Edinburgh Council
Mr C and Ms C complained about the council's handling of an application for single person discount for council tax. The council had originally decided not to award single person discount but following the introduction of new guidance had revised their decision. Although single person discount had been awarded, Mr …
SPSO (Scottish Public Se…
Local Government
Partly Upheld
May 2012
201100281 — Glasgow City Council
Mr C opted to pay his council tax instalments online. From 1 April 2008 the council required that, for those paying in this way, payments should start with a specified payment on 1 April and nine equal instalments on the first day of each succeeding month. When Mr C was …
SPSO (Scottish Public Se…
Local Government
Not Upheld
May 2012
201003730 — The City of Edinburgh Council
Ms C purchased a property which she intended to rent out to students. She contacted the council to establish what should be done about council tax. Ms C complained that the council provided her with inaccurate information, leading her to believe that the tenants would be liable for the council …
SPSO (Scottish Public Se…
Local Government
Partly Upheld
May 2012
201202156 — South Lanarkshire Council
Ms C inherited a property from her mother, who had died unexpectedly. Unable to sell it, Ms C decided to rent the property out. She complained that the council had unreasonably held her liable for council tax during periods for which exemptions should have been granted. She said the council …
SPSO (Scottish Public Se…
Local Government
Upheld
May 2013