Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Growth and Core Services presented the latest debt management performance report covering the first quarter of the 2023/24 financial year.

The Cabinet Member stressed the need for the Council to maximise the collection of monies owed in order to fund core services, although he acknowledged that many residents and business were struggling during the current cost-of-living crisis.  The Collection Service was implementing a number of new initiatives aimed at increasing collection and debt recovery rates as well as additional measures to support those in difficulty and the Cabinet Member confirmed that further information on those initiatives would come forward in future quarterly reports.  Further consideration was also being given to target collection rates and levels of arrears in certain areas.

Cabinet resolved to note the performance of the debt management function carried out by the Council’s Collection service, including the improvements in collection in some areas and the challenges in others.