How do I complain about my council to the Ombudsman?

Short answer

Finish the council’s own complaints procedure first — usually two stages — then take it to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman within 12 months of when you first knew about the problem. It is free, decided on documents, and upholds around 60% of the cases it investigates.

Two things decide whether a council complaint succeeds: finishing the council's own process properly, and getting to the Ombudsman in time. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman covers most council services in England — housing, planning, adult social care, children's services, council tax administration, highways, environmental health — plus adult social care providers, whether the care is council-funded or self-funded.

First, the council's own two stages

The LGSCO will not normally look at a complaint until the council has had its chance. Most councils run a two-stage procedure: Stage 1, reviewed by a manager in the department, with a response expected in 15–20 working days, and Stage 2, a review by a senior officer, in 20–25 working days. Excessive delay is itself maladministration, so if the council is badly overdue you can take the delay to the Ombudsman even before the substantive complaint is answered. The same applies if the council has no complaints process or refuses to engage.

Some decisions have their own statutory appeal route instead — planning refusals to the Planning Inspectorate, council tax liability to the Valuation Tribunal, EHC plans to the SEND Tribunal. The Ombudsman may not reopen the decision itself, but it can still examine how the council handled you.

Then the Ombudsman

You must show an injustice — financial loss, distress, missed entitlement or other tangible harm — and complain within 12 months of when you knew or should have known about the matter. That limit can be extended where it would be unjust not to investigate; roughly 30% of late applications are accepted, so always give your reasons.

Submit at lgo.org.uk/make-a-complaint with the council's final response and your evidence, or call 0300 061 0614. An initial assessor decides whether to investigate — about half of cases go forward. An investigator then gathers the council's records, drafts a statement of reasons, and lets both sides comment before the final decision. Expect 6–18 months. Remedies range from a written apology and a policy change to payments of £100–£500 for moderate distress, £500–£1,500 for significant distress or a missed service, and £1,500–£5,000 where the failure had long-term impact. Reading similar published decisions at lgo.org.uk/decisions is the single most useful preparation you can do.

Read the full guide: The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: Complaint Process in DetailCovers eligibility, the process, deadlines, and next steps in depth.

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