Complaints about London Councils

What we can investigate

We can investigate any of the following through our 3 stage complaints procedure:

• An unsatisfactory level or quality of service provided by us.
• Concerns about service delivery or non-delivery by us.
• A failure to provide information or give the correct information.
• A failure to follow our agreed policies and procedures.
• A complaint about the behaviour of staff or contractors employed by us.

What must be investigated by other procedures?

• Complaints about the Environment and Traffic Adjudicators or the Road User Charging Adjudicators (collectively known as London Tribunals) including any aspects of the judicial process cannot be dealt with by London Councils. For details about when and how to complain about an adjudicator, please visit the London Tribunals website.
• Complaints about how we have handled a request for information under the Freedom of Information, Environmental Information Regulations or the Data Protection Act will be dealt with through our Freedom of Information procedure.
• Complaints about elected members should be referred to their own authorities where they are bound by their local code of conduct.
• Complaints about individual London boroughs must be made through the relevant local authority complaints system.

What can’t we investigate?

Sometimes we receive complaints about policy decisions taken by London Councils Member bodies, for example the level of parking fines or a reduction in the Grants scheme. If your complaint is about the policy itself, rather than the way a decision has been taken or a problem with delivery of a service, we will not consider it under our complaints procedure.

Complaints about Freedom Pass

If you wish to raise an issue regarding your Older Persons Freedom Pass, please contact us on 0300 330 1433 or alternatively you can email info@freedompass.org. 

If you wish to raise an issue regarding your Disabled Freedom Pass, please contact the issuing borough. Contact details can be found on the Apply for disabled person's Freedom Pass page. 

Complaints about Taxicard

If you wish to raise an issue with a specific booking you’ve recently made, or have an issue about driver conduct, please contact ComCab London Customer Services on 020 7908 0271 or email: taxicardcustomerservices@comcab.com

If you want to make a complaint about the overall service of Taxicard, or feel that regulations have been breached,  please use the complaints contacts below.

Our standards for handling complaints

1. We treat all complaints seriously, whether they are made in person, or by telephone, letter, fax or email.
2. We will treat complainants with courtesy and fairness at all times.
3. We will aim to meet the timescales set down within our procedures and if, for any reason, we require further time we will tell the complainant the reason why and let them know when we will be able to reply in full. Stage 1 complaints will be responded to in 15 working days, stage 2 and 3 complaints in 20 working days.
4. We will not treat a complainant less favourably than anyone else because of their:
   1. Age
   2. Disability
   3. Gender reassignment
   4. Marital or civil partnership status
   5. Pregnancy or maternity status
   6. Race
   7. Religion/belief
   8. Sex
   9. Sexual orientation
5. If a complainant requires assistance in making their complaint, we will provide appropriate help, which may include putting people in touch with a suitable agency which can assist them in making their complaint.

All complaints received will be dealt with confidentially and in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR.

Persistent or vexatious complaints and managing unreasonable complainant behaviour

Our aim is to deal with all complaints in ways which are demonstrably consistent, fair and reasonable. We reserve the right to handle any complaint made unreasonably, persistently or vexatiously outside of the three stage complaints procedure. Examples of such complaints include those where the complainant causes unnecessary aggravation or annoyance to the organisation, refuses to co-operate with the complaints process, or changes the basis of the complaint as the investigation proceeds and/or introduces new information into the complaint. 

Complaints contact

If you wish to make a complaint about a service provided by London Councils, or enquire about the progress of your complaint, please contact the Corporate Complaints Officer:

Contacting the Local Government Ombudsman

Once you have completed the London Councils Complaints process, if you are not satisfied with the outcome of how we have responded to your complaint, you can take the matter further by contacting the Local Government Ombudsman.