Overview
The complainant (Miss C) said that East Dunbartonshire Council (the Council) did not administer her council tax account correctly. When she made various enquiries about the status of her account and ultimately complained to them, they did not resolve the issue to her satisfaction and failed to advise her of their complaints procedure.
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are that:
- (a) the communication and advice from the Council was poor (upheld);
- (b) record-keeping by the Council in relation to council tax was inadequate (upheld); and
- (c) the Council's complaints handling was poor (no finding).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the Council:
- (i) reminds their staff to ensure the accuracy of account details before taking action on council tax accounts;
- (ii) apologises to Miss C for their errors and the confusion caused; and
- (iii) makes a payment to Miss C equal to the disputed sum of £242.00.
The Council have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly.