Council one of the first in country to sign new council tax protocol
Telford & Wrekin Council has become one of the first councils in the country to sign up to a new protocol to promote best practice for dealing with people who get into difficulties paying their council tax
Telford & Wrekin Council has become one of the first councils in the country to sign up to a new protocol to promote best practice for dealing with people who get into difficulties paying their council tax.
The Council already works closely with Telford Citizens Advice Bureau in collecting Council Tax and this agreement formalises the working practices which are already in place.
The protocol has been created to get local authorities, enforcement agencies and advice agencies working together to help people pay their council tax bills while accessing debt advice when needed.
Councillor Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Finance, Commercial Service and Economic Development, said: “I am delighted that we have become one of the first local authorities in the country to sign this new protocol.
“When someone is struggling to pay their council tax, we encourage them to contact the council or Citizens Advice Bureau immediately to prevent further recovery action and the possibility of any costs.
“This protocol is all about how we work with residents to support them so that they can pay their bills without getting into further financial difficulties.
“We have a duty to collect the money that people owe but we are committed to doing this in a fair way and we only go down the enforcement route when other avenues are exhausted.”
Pictured: Citizens Advice Bureau resource manager Nigel Lawson and Telford & Wrekin Councillor Lee Carter
