Agenda item

Report of the Managing Director and the Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services.

The Cabinet Member with the Resources Portfolio introduced the report of the Managing Director and Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services (previously circulated) requesting that consideration be given to the write-off of former Housing tenant rent arrears, Housing Benefit overpayments, Non-Domestic Rates, Council Tax and Sundry Debtor invoices with individual values greater than £500, that were considered to be irrecoverable.

The submitted report stated that £607,190 of former Housing tenant rent arrears for 324 individual cases, representing 2.28 per cent of the annual rent debit; £163,523 of Housing Benefit overpayments in respect of 97 individual cases representing 0.57% of the total Housing Benefit expenditure; £1,292,456of Non-Domestic Rates and Council Tax representing 1.36 per cent of the total debit raised; and 18 individual sundry debts totalling £32,314.79, representing 0.09 per cent of the debt recoverable, were being written off, as no further steps could be taken to recover the sums.

Particular references were made by a Member in attendance at the meeting, on the reasons for the increase in the amount of write-off of irrecoverable debts that were proposed for 2019/2020, compared to previous years, and what the impact of Covid-19 would have on irrecoverable debts.  The Cabinet Member with the Resources Portfolio and the Managing Director responded thereon, and in doing so, the Managing Director reported that a comprehensive review of outstanding debts had been undertaken during 2019/2020 and that the total write-offs included within the submitted report, included debts from previous financial years.

RESOLVED - That a total amount of £607,190 of former Housing tenant arrears, £163,523 of Housing Benefit overpayments, £1,292,456of Non?Domestic Rates and Council Tax, and £32,314.79 of Sundry Debtor invoices be written-off, subject to steps for recovery being taken, wherever possible, if and when contact is made.

REASONS- (a)  It is considered all practical steps have been made to recover the debts.

(b)  To enable the Council’s accounts to be maintained in accordance with the Financial Procedure Rules.