Unpaid Walsall council tax at £9.8 million as enforcement agents called in
Walsall Council has announced the figures on uncollected council tax for the 2023-24 financial year. Out of the total £165.8 million billed to residents across the borough, £9.8 million remains unpaid as of August 31.
It was also heard at this week's full council meeting that 2,946 accounts were currently with enforcement agents, and 9,700 liability orders were issued by magistrates courts throughout the last financial year, although not all of these were directly linked to 2023-24 charges.
Portfolio holder for resident access and housing support, cllr Amandeep Garcha, confirmed that there is no cost to the council for using enforcement agents, with the fees added to the individual’s outstanding debt.
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Cllr Garcha stressed the importance of early engagement, encouraging residents facing payment difficulties to seek support to avoid enforcement action where possible.
She said: “All attempts are made to work with residents who are having difficulty in paying their council tax to avoid the need for any enforcement action. The service works closely with advice agencies, both local and national.
“The council is also registered to the Money Advice Network which is there for anyone in financial difficulty to get immediate access to free money and debt advice.”