Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Growth and Core Services introduced the performance report covering the second quarter of the 2022/23 financial year in respect of the Council’s debt management functions.

The Cabinet Member commented that the statistical data showed that the cost-of-living crisis continued to impact on the local community, although he did stress that a small proportion of individuals chose not to pay what they owed, rather than being unable to pay.  Collection rates were, in the main, below the corresponding rates for 2021/22 and while those individuals who chose not to pay would continue to be targeted by the Council, the Cabinet Member alluded to the range of support and intervention measures that were on offer to those struggling with debt due to the Government’s failure to provide a properly funded welfare support system.  The Cabinet Member concluded with the warning that the situation was only expected to get worse as we moved further into the financial year due to the cold winter months when households would notice the full effect of the unprecedented energy prices.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Note the performance of the debt management function carried out by the Council’s Revenues service, including the pressure on collection rates as a result of the cost-of-living crisis; and

(ii)  Note the change in debt recovery processes for the collection of Council Tax to assist residents in the current climate, as described in paragraph 2.5 of the report.