Wirral Council hopeful its council tax collection rate will rise to more than 96%

Mar 10 2010 by Lorna Hughes, Birkenhead News

WIRRAL Council says it expects its council tax collection rate to rise to over 96% this year.

The authority expects to be the only council in Merseyside that will meet its revenue targets, with other areas predicting shortfalls of between £200,000 and £4million.

Wirral Council collects £122m each year from 145,000 households.

Council leader Councillor Steve Foulkes said: “Our collection rates for council tax are very high and we expect that over 99% of outstanding debts will have been collected by the end of the financial year.

“This strong performance is so important because any shortfall in projections would further increase council tax levels for the following year, which is unfair on the majority of people who always pay what is required for their public sector services.

“I think that our success is largely due to the fact that we offer a range of payment methods and dates to residents, with 70% now paying via direct debit, which is known for being safe and reliable.

“We also recognise that people sometimes struggle to pay their council tax, particularly in the current economic climate. Wherever possible, we have tried to assist these residents at an early stage with special arrangements in line with our Fair Debt Policy.”