FOI request (FOIR-538949551)

Council tax debts and enforcement agencies

Requested Sun 13 August 2023
Responded Fri 01 September 2023

I am requesting the following information under the Freedom of Information Act:

1. Since April 2020, has the council at any point used debt enforcement agencies (or similar service providers) in relation to cases of outstanding council tax debt?

If the answer to question 1 is 'no', the council should proceed to questions 8 and 9.

2. What are the debt enforcement agencies referred to in response to question 1?

3. How many council tax debt cases were referred to each of the debt enforcement agencies listed in response to question 2 in the financial years 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23?

4. How much unpaid council tax debt (preferably including any 'penalty' fees/charges) was referred in total to debt enforcement agencies in the financial years 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 combined? This should be one figure, combining all the debt enforcement agencies and all three financial years.

5. How much of the council tax debt stated in response to question 4 was collected after being referred to a debt enforcement agency? Again, this should be one figure combining all agencies and all three financial years (including debt that was collected in a later financial year than when it was referred).

6. The total number of council tax accounts in each council electoral ward in 2022/23 (this is all council tax accounts, not just those carrying debts or referred to debt enforcement agencies). Preferably this should be a whole-year figure, but if that is not possible a snapshot figure will suffice. If possible within the section 12 cost limit, I would like these figures to exclude accounts relating to designated second homes and empty properties.

7. The number of council tax accounts that were referred to debt enforcement agencies for council tax debt collection in 2022/23, broken down by electoral ward. This means those accounts where the referral took place during 2022/23. If possible within the section 12 cost limit, I would like these figures to exclude accounts relating to designated second homes and empty properties.

8. The total number of council tax accounts in each council electoral ward at present (this is all council tax accounts, not just those carrying debts or referred to debt enforcement agencies). This should be the most recent snapshot figure available. If possible within the section 12 cost limit, I would like these figures to exclude accounts relating to designated second homes and empty properties.

9. The number of council tax accounts that currently have unpaid council tax debts relating to financial years prior to 2023/24, broken down by electoral ward. If possible within the section 12 cost limit, I would like these figures to exclude accounts relating to designated second homes and empty properties.

If the information for any questions are unavailable within the section 12 cost limit, please exclude those questions as 'information not held' and fulfil the remainder of the request.

I would like the information sent by email. Please provide the information for questions 6-9 in an editable spreadsheet (not pdf).

Response

1. Yes

2. We use Marston Recovery as our council tax debt collection agents.

3. 2020/21 - 643, 2021/22 - 3346, 2022/23 - 2,691

4. £9,362,392.57 - this does not take into account any cases that will have been returned as uncollectable or requested to be returned by us, since referral.

5. £2,163,970.81 (actual debt collected)

6. Information not held by electoral wards, so only the total number of accounts is shown on the spreadsheet for 2022/23 (as at 1 April 2022). However this does exclude those properties classified as empty/second homes as at 1 April 2023.

7. Information not held by electoral wards and unable to exclude accounts that are classified as second homes or empty properties.

8. The information supplied is as of 23 August 2023. Information is not held by electoral wards.

9. The information provided is as of 23 August 2023. Information is not held by electoral wards and we cannot exclude properties which are classified as second homes or empty properties.

Spreadsheet attached, as requested, for Q6 to Q9.

Attachments

• FOIR-538949551_FOIR-538949551_2-FOI_538949551_-_Council_Tax_Debts_and_Enforcement_Agencies.xlsx