Cheshire East Council paid out more than £106,000 in compensation to residents last year after 18 complaints were upheld by the local government ombudsman.

This was a whopping 521 per cent increase on 2023/24, where payments totalled £17,125.

In one case Cheshire East paid out £59,149 in compensation to a woman after the council and the integrated care board (ICB) stopped paying for her housing costs when the property changed to supported housing.

The ombudsman was told the woman depleted her savings because she had to pay rent and incurred legal charges as she had to seek specialist advice.

The ombudsman said: "We found fault in the way the council and the ICB decided to stop paying for Miss D's housing costs as her accommodation should have been provided without charge in line with the terms of the Mental Health Act 1983.

"The legal fees she owes could have been avoided were it not for the faults."

The council agreed to pay more than £59,000 for the rent it should have paid between February 2019 and April 2024 plus interest.

The corporate policy committee was also told on Thursday (June 12) there had been a 41 per cent rise in complaints about the council, which were up from 3,051 in 2023/24 to 4,314 in 2024/25.

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Complaints manager Alan Ward said most related to waste and to the council's change of policy.

"We're seeing a lot more complaints in relation to both the garden waste subscription and also damaged bin complaints," he said, explaining that previously the council had replaced damaged bins for free but now it only did that if they had been damaged by the waste service team.

The committee was also told most of the complaints relating to adult services were because of changes to the charging policy.

Cheshire East also saw a rise in the number of compliments it received this year.

This was up from 824 in 2023/24 to 936 in 2024/25 – an increase of 14 per cent.

Council leader Nick Mannion (Lab) said: "I think it's important also we put on record an increase in compliments in a year when we had to take some tough decisions about reducing services, increasing charges, closing facilities.

"To record an increase in compliments is to be applauded under such difficult operating circumstances."