Hackney and Croydon in top five worst boroughs for tax collection at a time when the money is needed most

Councils not looking after the pennys

Hackney and Croydon councils are among the five worst boroughs for tax collection, according to an investigation revealed today by the Evening Standard.

 

London local authorities are owed over half a billion pounds in council tax, according to the newspaper.

 

The figures reveal that Croydon are the second worst performing borough, with £35m owed just after Lambeth with £51m owed.

 

Hounslow, Haringey and Hackney boroughs account for 30 percent of the entire uncollected bill at a time of severe cuts to public services. Labour councils were claimed to be the worst, responsible for over £366m of the uncollected tax.

 

The Government accused the Labour councils for wasting public money, which could have been used to pay for 1000 libraries and over 16,000 police officers. Last year’s bill alone amounts to £117m – equivalent to the cost of the 2012 Olympic stadium or the amount in planned cuts in public services.

 

Housing Minister Grant Shapps said: “This confirms what we all knew about Labour councils wasting public money without a second thought.

 

“Not only are councils like Lambeth pursuing a strategy of cutting jobs before waste they are displaying breathtaking incompetence when it comes to financial management. All the millions could have been diverted to protecting frontline services.”

 

A spokesperson from Croydon council said,  “Over nine years, the amount we have outstanding is less than three per cent of the £1.5 bn available to collect.

 

“We have the sixth largest amount to collect in the country, and our previous year’s collection rate of 96 percent far outstrips the government’s tax collection performance figure.

 

“Croydon takes collection very seriously, pursuing all recovery options available, including the use of bailiffs, bankruptcy hearings and charging orders.”

 

A Hackney Council spokesperson said, “Hackney has a transient population and a high proportion of rented accommodation and, unfortunately, some people move without paying their Council Tax or advising us of a forwarding address. “

 

“We continue to invest in tools and systems that allow us to trace non payers. Once traced, we actively pursue the outstanding amount using

bailiffs and bankruptcy action. Ultimately, we expect to collect in excess of 97 per cent of the Council Tax for each year.”

 

Representative body of the local authorities, London Councils, claim that London councils have performed better in ensuring council tax collection than other forms of national taxation.

 

In a statement, they said, “Local authorities do not stop seeking to collect unpaid council tax at the end of the financial year – they are continually working to clear arrears.

 

“Councils in urban areas like London face a significant challenge in collecting council tax, with a large and highly mobile population. Despite such significant challenges, they have ensured council tax collection rates between 96 and 99 per cent – better than other forms of national taxation such as income tax and VAT.

 

“Councils do an incredible job ensuring council tax is paid by those who can afford to do so – they should not be made scapegoats for those people refuse to pay.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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