FI16970

Request

1. The total amount owed to the council in council tax arrears within your local authority on the latest date which figures were available. 

2. The total number of people who are currently in arrears of payment of their council tax to your local authority (arrears defined as having missed at least one payment)? 

3. The total number of people who currently have debt management procedures commenced against them by your authority for non-payment of council tax (including those under any escalation process in debt recovery, receiving e.g. automated reminders, letter before action and referral to debt collection agency)? 

4. The total number of people who have had court proceedings begun against them relating to non-payment of council tax in your local authority in 2023/24 and 2024/25?

Response

1. £15,117,282.73.  Please note we are unable to provide the data for customers where a reminder or second reminder notice has been issued, as we are unable to establish whether the amount on the reminder notices has been paid in full.  The data is taken for all customers where a final notice has been issued and therefore the right to pay by instalments is lost, as those cases we would consider that the customer is in arrears with Council Tax.

2. 10,585.  Please note we are unable to provide the data for customers where a reminder or second reminder notice has been issued, as we are unable to establish whether the reminder notices have been paid in full.  The data is taken for all customers where a final notice has been issued and therefore the right to pay by instalments is lost, as those cases we would consider that the customer is in arrears with Council Tax.

3. See response below at question 4 (responses combined).

4. As follows: 

Recovery type	2023/24 cases	2024/25 cases
Final notice issued	6,666	7,488
Summons issued	4,176	4,219
Liability orders granted	3,588	4,076
Pre enforcement letters sent	3,383	3,432
Referral to Enforcement Agent	3,205	2,377