WEBSITE

Practitioners are advised to regularly view the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman websites for England, Scotland and Wales. These can be found at:-

• England: http://www.lgo.org.uk/. 

• Scotland: http://www.spso.org.uk/. 

• Wales: http://www.ombudsman-wales.org.uk/.

Through the websites, practitioners can register to receive recent decisions on recent local taxation and benefits cases that have been considered by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.  

GENERAL

The latest News can be found at https://www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/news.

The latest reports on council tax, non-domestic rate and welfare benefits can be found at https://www.lgo.org.uk/decisions/benefits-and-tax.

A new Ombudsmen complaint codes a birthday present for local services can be found at https://www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/news/2024/feb/new-ombudsmen-complaint-codes-a-birthday-present-for-local-services.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has issued new guidance on effective complaint handling for local authorities. This can be found at https://www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/news/2020/oct/new-complaints-handling-guide-offers-advice-to-local-authorities.

Frequently asked questions about complaining to the Local Government Ombudsman and challenging the Ombudsman’s decision can be found at https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/local-government-and-social-care-ombudsman/. 

The Annual Report and Accounts 2022/23 of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman can be found at https://www.lgo.org.uk/assets/attach/6530/Annual-Report-2022-23-18-Dec.pdf.

A Research Briefing on the role played by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman can be found at https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn04117/.