Decision details

In line with the Council’s financial rules the Cabinet will be presented with a quarterly report on Council debt write offs

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Education presented a report on the performance during the second quarter of the 2011/12 financial year (July - September 2011) in respect of the debt management function carried out by the Revenues and Benefits Service within Elevate East London, together with details of the debts written-off as uncollectable during the period and comparable information from the previous financial year.

The Cabinet Member for Housing commented that a considerable proportion of debts were believed to accrue during the period between individuals’ actually abandoning properties and the Council becoming aware and closing the account.  The Cabinet Member for Finance and Education added that efforts to recover debts continued even after formal write-off and that Members would be provided with appropriate details as part of those efforts.

Cabinet agreed:-

  (i)  To note the performance of the debt management function carried out by the Revenues and Benefits Service operated by Elevate East London as detailed in the report; and

  (ii)  To note the debt write-offs during the second quarter of 2011/12 and that a number of those debts would be publicised in accordance with the policy agreed by Minute 69 (6 November 2007).