Cannock Chase Council achieves best tax collection rate since Covid – but writes off 'irrecoverable' debts
Senior Cannock Chase councillors have agreed to write off “irrecoverable” council tax and business rate debts worth almost £60,000 – but overall collection levels have improved.
An unpaid council tax bill of £10,200 and two business rate debts totalling £49,458.46 are being written off by the district authority, alongside a £12,653.86 housing benefit overpayment, after efforts to recover the funds proved unsuccessful.
A report to Thursday’s cabinet meeting (June 5) said more than 98% of business rates and 97% of council tax due for 2024/25 had been collected by March 31 however. These were the best collection rates achieved since the pre-pandemic year 2019/20.
The report said: “Whilst trying to maintain this rate in the coming year, the team will also increase its efforts to recover older years’ arrears owed to the council. In accordance with the council’s approved policies, all reasonable and lawful attempts are made to recover all amounts due.
“For any of our powers to be effective we need to know the whereabouts of a debtor, and this is not always the case. Where debtors abscond, we will use all reasonable endeavours to trace them and are often successful in doing so.
“Unfortunately, on occasions this is not so, and we must submit a debt for write off.”
Council leader Tony Johnson said: “We never enjoy writing off off debts we are not able to recover, despite the best efforts of our officers.
“Our collection rate for council tax and business rates continues to improve. It is fair to say things have gone on a significant upward trend.
“We are now back to pre-Covid levels. While these are difficult times, it is a credit to local people and businesses they still pay their bills.”
