Issue - meetings

Debt Recovery 2023 - 2024

 

 

Meeting: 08/07/2024 - Cabinet (Item 11)

11 Debt Recovery 2023 - 2024 pdf icon PDF 205 KB

Executive Summary

This is an annual report detailing the council’s collection performance and debt management arrangements for 2023/24. It includes:

§  A summary of debts written off in each debt area showing the reasons for write-off and values.

§  Collection performance for Council Tax and Non- Domestic Rates.

§  Level of arrears outstanding

§  Level of provision for bad and doubtful debts

 

Options considered.

 

To leave the write-off limits as they currently are allowing team leaders to write-off up to £4k or to increase these to a higher figure.

 

Consultation(s)

We are pleased to reach this year’s collection performance targets for council tax & Non-Domestic (Business) Rates whilst also working hard to reduce avoidance and fraud which with the cost-of-living crisis is a difficult time to for enforcement.

 

Recommendations

 

That Cabinet recommend to full Council that it:

 

  1. approves the annual report which details the Council’s write-offs, in accordance with the Council’s Debt Write-Off Policy and performance in relation to revenues collection.

 

  1. approves the suggested change to the delegated authority as shown in appendix 2 for write offs (increase team leaders’ authorisation levels from £4k to £5k which is line with other authorisations).

 

Reasons for recommendations

 

The recommendations ensure the Council makes best use of its staff resources and manages its finances to ensure best value for money.

Background papers

 

Corporate Debt Management and Recovery Policy -Appendix 1; Debt Write Off Policy - Appendix 2 and Enforcement Agent Code of Practice and Enforcement Agent Instructions - Appendix 3.

 

 

Wards affected

All wards

Cabinet member(s)

Lucy Shires

Contact Officer

Sean Knight

Revenues Manger

Sean.Knight@north-norfolk.gov.uk

 

Links to key documents:

 

Corporate Plan:         

A Strong, Responsible, & Accountable Council.

Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS)

Maximises Income of revenues.

 

Council Policies & Strategies

Corporate Debt Management and Recovery Policy and Debt Write Off Policy

 

Additional documents:

Decision:

Decision

RESOLVED

 

To recommend to Full Council to

 

  1. approve the annual report which details the Council’s write-offs, in accordance with the Council’s Debt Write-Off Policy and performance in relation to revenues collection.

 

  1. approve the suggested change to the delegated authority as shown in appendix 2 for write offs (increase team leaders’ authorisation levels from £4k to £5k which is line with other authorisations).

 

Reason for the recommendations:

The recommendations ensure the Council makes best use of its staff resources and manages its finances to ensure best value for money.

Minutes:

Cllr L Shires, Portfolio Holder for Finance & Assets introduced this item. She thanked the Revenues Manager for his hard work in preparing the report. She explained that the report detailed the Council’s collection performance and debt management arrangements for 2023/24 and included a summary of debts written off in each debt area showing the reasons for write-off and values, collection performance for Council Tax and Non- Domestic Rates, level of arrears outstanding and level of provision for bad and doubtful debts. In conclusion, she said that the target for collection of council tax was 98.2% and 93.7% was achieved. For business rates the target was 99.2 and the 99.29 was achieved.

 

The Chairman reiterated Cllr Shires comments and said that the collection rates continued to be impressive.

 

It was proposed by Cllr L Shires, seconded by Cllr T Adams

 

RESOLVED

 

To recommend to Full Council to

 

  1. approve the annual report which details the Council’s write-offs, in accordance with the Council’s Debt Write-Off Policy and performance in relation to revenues collection.

 

  1. approve the suggested change to the delegated authority as shown in appendix 2 for write offs (increase team leaders’ authorisation levels from £4k to £5k which is line with other authorisations).

 

Reason for the recommendations:

The recommendations ensure the Council makes best use of its staff resources and manages its finances to ensure best value for money.