Issue - meetings

Report number:     CAB/WS/24/019

Portfolio holder: Councillor Diane Hind

Lead officer: Rachael Mann

Resolved:

That the write-off of the amounts detailed in the exempt appendices to Report number: CAB/WS/24/019, be approved, as follows:

1.       Exempt Appendix 1: Council Tax totalling £24,604.84

2.       Exempt Appendix 2: Overpayment of Housing Benefit totalling £25,713.11

3.       Exempt Appendix 3: Sundry Debt of £9,439.63

(Report number CAB/WS/24/019)

The Cabinet considered this report, which provided the collection data in respect of council tax and national non-domestic rates (NNDR) and sought approval for the write-off of the amounts contained in the exempt appendices attached to the report.

Councillor Diane Hind, Portfolio Holder for Resources, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet, including the current performance of both council tax and business rates collection, as set out in Section 2 of the report.

Members noted that there was an extensive and supportive recovery process prior to the engagement of an enforcement agency. The Council currently used the services of the ARP Enforcement Agency to assist in the collection of business rates and council tax and also had online tracing facilities.

In response to a question, the Cabinet was informed that every effort was made to recover a debt before reaching the point of seeking approval to write it off. In the event that a written-off debt became recoverable, the amount was written back on, and enforcement procedures would be re-established. Debt recovery rates were improving considerably.

Recognition was given to the extensive amount of work undertaken by officers in this service area and to the Anglia Revenues Partnership as a whole.

Resolved:

That the write-off of the amounts detailed in the exempt appendices to Report number: CAB/WS/24/019, be approved, as follows:

1.       Exempt Appendix 1: Council Tax totalling £24,604.84

2.       Exempt Appendix 2: Overpayment of Housing Benefit totalling £25,713.11

3.       Exempt Appendix 3: Sundry Debt of £9,439.63