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Torbay starts court proceedings for council tax arrears

Friday, 19 February 2021 10:32

By Ed Oldfield, local democracy reporter

Council apologies after 6,000 summonses sent

A senior Torbay councillor has expressed “regret” about any anxiety caused to people who received a court summons after taking a two-month break in their council tax payments due to the pandemic.

The issue was raised by Conservative councillor Andrew Barrand, who said he had been contacted by people who had taken up the council’s offer of a payment holiday, but were now being threatened with court action and extra costs if they did not pay the full amount owed.

The councillor for Cockington with Chelston asked the leadership if they regretted “causing the stress and anxiety” to people who had been struggling to pay their bills, and questioned whether communication with residents about the process could have been better.

The council’s deputy leader Darren Cowell said: “Any organisation would deeply regret any anxiety caused to its customers, and Torbay Council is no exception.”

He said a court summons followed a series of letters, including advice on how to seek financial support, and the council would not currently be instructing bailiffs to enforce debt collection. Cllr Cowell said: “I think there has been extensive communication, but clearly there are lessons to be learnt.”

The deputy leader said in a normal year the summonses would have been issued in phases, but this year they were sent out in a single block which meant that the volume of feedback had been greater than usual.

In January the council sent out 6,000 court summonses, 4,700 final notices, and 2,000 first reminders for the tax payable in the 2020/21 financial year, which finishes at the end of March.

Councillors on the overview and scrutiny board were told that the first reminder letters are followed by a letter outlining financial support that is available, then an informal reminder followed by a second formal reminder, before a summons is issued.

The council’s deputy head of finance Sean Cremer said it had been an exceptional and fast-moving year due to the pandemic, and the team recognised communication about the payment break could have been better. “That is a lesson that has been learnt,” he told councillors.

The council, which is run by a partnership of Independents and Liberal Democrats, has voted to increase council tax from April by 4.99 per cent, including three per cent ring-fenced for adult social care, equal to £1.50 a week for an average Band D bill. 

The Conservative group called for the core 1.99 per cent increase to be scrapped due to financial hardship caused by the pandemic, but was defeated in a vote.

Council leader Steve Darling said the council tax in Torbay was still expected to be the lowest in Devon, and next year’s budget included investment for economic recovery and a hardship fund to support those worst affected by the Covid-19.

The council advises anyone facing difficulty paying their council tax to get in touch with the payment team.

 

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