FOI request (FOIR-527743508)

Council tax debt

Requested Thu 29 June 2023
Responded Wed 12 July 2023

Please consider this request under the FOI Act. I am seeking data on the level of council tax arrears owed to the local authority.

Please provide figures for each of the following financial years: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23.

1. What was the total value of unpaid council tax debt owed to the council at the end of each financial year?

2. For each year, what was the total value of council tax debt accrued in that 12-month period?

3. In each year, how many households were sent a final notice instructing them to pay the year's council tax in full after missing earlier payments?

4. In each year, how many times did the council instruct bailiffs to enforce liability orders for non-payment of council tax?

5. In each year, how many cases were taken back from bailiffs after the council accepted the individual was vulnerable?

Response

Q1 and Q2 - The same information has been given for both as we can only show debt owing for that particular financial year. We have provided data showing debt owing as at the end of that financial year and what it is as at 31st March 2023 for all the requested financial years:

2017-18 - £2,858,208.87 (1st April 2018) and £1,002,567.89 (31st March 2023)

2018-19 - £3,488,096.20 (1st April 2019) and £1,416,906.73 (31st March 2023)

2019-20 - £3,623,045.52 (1st April 2020) and £1,795,849.41 (31st March 2023)

2020-20 - £4,062,435.08 (1st April 2021) and £2,084,891.39 (31st March 2023)

2021-22 - £3,786,112.76 (1st April 2022) and £2,665,869.27 (31st March 2023)

2022-23 - £4,131,310.69 (31st March 2023)

Q3.

2018-19 - 8,870

2019-20 - 9,377

2020-21 - 3,601

2021-22 - 8,684

2022-23 - 7,375

Q4.

2018-19 - 733

2019-20 - 2,326

2020-21 - 2,749

2021-22 - 643

2022-23 - 3,346

However, out of these a number may have been returned as un-collectable/gone away or cancelled by us and we do not hold that information.

Q5. Information not held.