Shropshire Council owed more than £21 million in council tax

More than £21 million of outstanding council tax is owed to Shropshire Council, it can be revealed.

Replying to a Freedom of Information request from the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the local authority said that, as at January 1, it had gross arrears outstanding of £21.3m. It says that in order to recover the debts, it collected them in accordance with the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992.

A reminder or final notice will be issued around 14 days after an instalment is due, with a failure to comply leading to the issue of a summons by the magisrates court. The council can then apply for a liability order asking which can lead to a deduction being made from earnings or benefits. External enforcement agents can also be used.

However, the council has confirmed it has ‘written off’ £282,000 during the last two financial years (2022/23 and 2023/24.)

For 2025/26, tax payers will be asked to pay an extra 4.99%, an increase of about £1.65 a week for an average Band D property. This, Shropshire Council says, will help close a budget gap of £11.8m and is on the back of a consultation that helped shape its proposals.

Anyone who runs into financial difficulties, or are worried about debt and paying bills, can contact a number of organisations who offer free help and advice. This includes the Money Advice Servicxe (moneyadviceservice.org.uk), the Citizens Advice Bureau (cabshropshire.org.uk), StepChange (stepchange.org), Money Advisor Network (adviser.moneyhelper.org.uk) and National Debtline (nationaldebtline.org).

For information about paying council tax in Shropshire or to contact the Recovery Team, visit https://next.shropshire.gov.uk/council-tax