Council Tax Business Rates and Housing Benefits Overpayments Recovery Policy

Summary

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has a duty to ensure that all revenue due to the council is collected efficiently and effectively for the benefit of all council taxpayers.

It is essential to the council that a consistent system is in place for both financial and audit purposes.

In striving to continually improve collection and recovery performance the council recognises that some people do not pay their debts for a variety of reasons. This may include poverty or other financial hardship, which the council will endeavour to balance against its duty to collect. Conversely, the policy aims to take a robust approach to those who can pay but won't pay. The council also believes that its debt collection and recovery policy should be fair to everyone notwithstanding their age, race, gender, disability, sexuality or religious belief.

The need for people in debt to communicate their circumstances is important. Where a person makes contact these will be considered with a view to agreeing a reasonable payment arrangement. Consideration will be given to minimising recovery action within statutory requirements. Where people fail to make contact or maintain any agreed arrangement recovery action will continue.

This policy details the Revenues Section's approach to recovery. Best practice will be applied to all debt collection and recovery activities within appropriate legal powers. It aims to support the council's priorities by:

• using cost effective and fair collection and recovery practices in the pursuit of all debts owed to the council, ensuring that those with the means to pay do pay
• ensuring there is a professional, consistent and timely approach to recovery action
• considering fully the customer's circumstances and ability to pay and so distinguish between the customer who won't pay and the customer who genuinely can't pay
• improving the levels of income collected by the council and reducing levels of arrears
• ensuring that debts are managed in accordance with legislative provisions and best practice
• treating individuals consistently and fairly regardless of age, sex, race, gender, disability and sexual orientation and to ensure that individual's rights under Data Protection and Human Rights legislation are protected.

Document

• Council Tax Business Rates and Housing Benefits Overpayments Recovery Policy (PDF) [215KB] (opens new window)