Merton Council has seen a significant 39% increase in formal complaints during the 2025/26 financial year, logging a total of 1,450 stage 1 complaints. Of these, 638 were upheld, representing 44% of the total.
The figures were presented at a Governance Standards and Audit Committee meeting on Thursday, September 3, 2026. Sharon Evans, Director of Governance and Civic Services, highlighted that the rise in complaints is partly attributed to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in generating them. This trend is being observed across local authorities nationally, leading to more complex and lengthy complaints that require substantial resources to investigate.
Areas that saw a notable increase in complaints included Council Tax billing, homelessness and housing, parking, and refuse collections. The report notes that the main areas in which increased numbers of complaints were received were disputes against council tax billing; homelessness & housing need, parking and other penalty concerns; and refuse collections.
Furthermore, the top three reasons for complaints across the council are:
- Quality or appropriateness of a service
- Failure to deliver a service
- Communication
Beyond AI, a challenging economy
and individuals facing difficult decisions, particularly those who are socially economically deprived, are also mentioned as potential contributing factors to the increase in complaints, especially for Finance and Digital services. For Adult Social Care, the report notes that complaints in this area can be complex and have received increased focus in the news and media over the last year.
Councillor Angela Paul raised concerns about the AI-generated complaints, suggesting the council explore AI solutions to manage them. Sharon Evans acknowledged this as a growing issue and confirmed that the council is exploring technological solutions. The meeting agenda and public reports pack can be found on the Merton Council website.
