FOI request (FOI206078)

Council Tax debt

Requested Fri 27 January 2017
Responded Fri 27 January 2017

For each of the last 5 financial years, including as much of 2016/17 as you have data for, please could you tell me:

1. The total level of council tax debt (i.e. the total amount owed in council tax by those who have yet to pay their due) at year end. To be clear, I’m interested in the total unpaid debt at year end, not just debt that had been incurred that financial year.

2. The number of individual households owing outstanding council tax debt at year end

3. The highest single amount of council tax owed by an individual household.

4. The total the council was able to recover in outstanding council tax debt during the financial year.

If possible, could you also send me a link to or a copy of your council’s policy in dealing with council tax debt?

Response

This information is held

1. 31/03/13 - 4,476,662.62 - 31/03/14 - 5,186,209.59 - 31/03/15 - 4,621,258.10 - 31/03/16 - 4,621,886.72 24/01/17 - 7,399,134.48 (Payments not yet finished).

2. We do not record that information as we work over a number of years but currently the number accounts in arrears is 12,521

3. 2012 - 13,210 - 2013 - 15,283 - 2014 - 17,389 - 2015 - 17,389 - 2016 - 19,507

4. 2012 - 37.373 million - 2013 - 38.910 million - 2014 - 40.228 million - 2015 - 41.915 million - 2016 - 42.781 million

We do not have a recovery policy.