Issue details
Council Tax Recovery
Council Tax recovery – to undertake
initial recovery action on Council Tax arrears cases where a
liability order has been obtained from the court, but recovery
action has not yet commenced.
Normal recovery action on Council Tax arrears has effectively been
suspended since March 2020:
Payments on existing payment arrangements have continued to be
collected but where payments have stopped attempts have been made
to contact the customer to offer support.
Revenues and Benefits telephone lines are open and are receiving
approx. 100 calls each day about Council Tax and Business Rates,
again offering customers advice and support.
Where customers have indicated they are unable to keep up with
payments due to the current lockdown, recovery action is
suspended.
All enforcement agent (bailiff) action has ceased and no new
referrals have been made.
There are 572 Council Tax arrears cases (totalling £267k),
where a liability order was obtained at the Magistrate’s
Court in February, where no action has yet been taken. Normally
they would be set up on a new payment arrangement and write to them
setting out payment instalments – this action was suspended
in March 2020.
It is recommended that contact is made with these customers by
letter setting out a new payment arrangement to clear the arrears,
with the offer of support if they are unable to make payments. If
no payments or contact from the customer is received, no further
recovery action will be taken at this stage.
Financial/staffing/health & safety (incl virus transmission
risks)/service delivery impacts/other risks and impacts
considered:
Financial – early contact with the customer about arrears is
recommended to assist the customer and maximise income for the
Council.
Staffing – no impact as staff are in place to take enquiries
from customers.
Health and safety – no impact.
Equality Impact:
None.
Decision type: Non-key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Notice of proposed decision first published: 25/11/2020
Decision due: 30 Apr 2020 by Assistant Director Housing and Building Services
Contact: Anthony Sandys, Assistant Director - Housing and Revenues Email: [email protected].
Consultation process
Consulted with Cabinet Member responsible for
Resources, Managing Director plus Revenues and Benefits
staff.
Decisions
- 25/11/2020 - Council Tax Recovery