Residents in £6.6m council tax debt
HALTON residents owe a total of £6.6m in unpaid council tax according to newlyreleased official figures.
Data from the Department For Communities And Local Government has shown that householders in Runcorn and Widnes owed the sum for the year ending in March.
The £6.6m which residents need to cough up is an increase on the £5.9m owed for the previous year.
A spokesman for National Debtline, an advice service run by the Money Advice Trust, said the fact that so much council tax debt is still outstanding is a further sign that more residents in Halton would benefit from help in tackling their financial problems.
The service receives around 200 calls each year from residents in Halton seeking advice on how to resolve their debt problems, and the charity expects the number could increase with higher council tax bills adding to the pressure for households with stretched budgets.
Council tax rose for residents in the borough in April.
A ‘typical’ band D property attracted a bill of £1,430.70 in 201516 compared to £1,484.06 for this year – according to official booklets from the local authority – with the latter also including a 2% precept to fund adult social care.
Joanna Elson OBE, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline, said: “The level of unpaid council tax in Halton remains a concern.
“Council tax is essential in funding the essential local services that we all rely on, and local authorities are already under significant financial pressure – so it is in everyone’s interests that arrears are repaid.
“We would urge all councils to do everything they can to ensure that residents in difficulty are signposted to the free advice that will help them get back on track.
“Anyone in and around Halton who is finding it hard to make their council tax payments should contact National Debtline or a local agency such as Citizens Advice as early as possible.
“The earlier you seek free advice, the quicker and easier the problem will be to solve.”
The charity added that council tax is now the fastest growing type of problem debt it is helping clients to resolve, with 25% of all callers now in arrears, up from 14% in 2007.
For more information visit www. nationaldebtline.org or call 0808 808 4000.