Decision Report 201403994

  • Case ref:
    201403994
  • Date:
    February 2015
  • Body:
    East Dunbartonshire Council
  • Sector:
    Local Government
  • Outcome:
    Upheld, recommendations
  • Subject:
    complaints handling

Summary

Ms C applied to the council on behalf of her son for a Young Scot card and education maintenance allowance. There were delays in processing her applications and because of that, Ms C complained to the council. She then complained to us because she said the council failed to address her complaint appropriately.

Having reviewed the council's complaint file and related documents, we found that the council could have taken steps to outline what the relevant procedures and likely timescales were in relation to each application. We also considered that they could have explained in more detail what had happened to the Young Scot card application. In addition, the council failed to address Ms C's concerns about her application for education maintenance allowance.

Recommendations

We recommended that the council:

  • make a time and trouble payment in recognition of the failings identified with the handling of the application for a Young Scot card; and
  • apologise for failing to address Ms C's complaint about the handling of the application for education maintenance allowance.

Updated: March 13, 2018