Council use of enforcement agencies for debt-collecting
To whom it may concern,
I would please like to request the following information:
1) In the financial years 21/22, 22/23 and 23/24 (Up to 07.02.24), could you please provide me with the total monetary value of council-related debts (such as council tax, parking fines, failures to pay business rates and housing arrears) which were referred to external enforcement agencies?
2) Of this figure, please could you provide the amount that was recovered by external debt agencies broken down for each of the financial years referenced?
3) For each of those financial years, please provide the number of complaints the council has received about the conduct of external bailiffs and debt collectors.
Please do not hesitate to contact me at [email address] should any aspect of my request require clarification.
Yours faithfully, and many thanks,
Helen Hoddinott
Dear Ms Hoddinott,
FOI request: FOI-1315
Thank you for your request dated 07/02/2024
Your request will be answered by 06/03/2024
If you have any queries about this request, please contact me, quoting the
reference number above.
Yours sincerely,
David White
Head of Information, Safety and Community Services
Directorate of Communities, Environment and Central
Royal Borough of Greenwich
* 3^rd Floor, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London, SE18
6HQ
8 [1]www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk
ü Please consider the environment before printing this email
Dear Ms Hoddinott,
Freedom of Information request: FOI-1315
Please accept our sincere apologies for a delay in providing a response to
your Freedom of Information request. We apologise for any inconvenience
this may cause. The service providing you with your response has been
chased today and they do remain committed to responding to your request as
soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
Freedom of Information Team
Directorate of Communities, Environment and Central
Royal Borough of Greenwich
* 3^rd Floor, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London, SE18
6HQ
8 [1]www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk
ü Please consider the environment before printing this email
From: foi <[Greenwich Borough Council request email]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 10:33 AM
To: 'Helen Hoddinott' <[FOI #1082174 email]>
Cc: foi <[Greenwich Borough Council request email]>
Subject: FOI-1315 - Council use of enforcement agencies for
debt-collecting
Dear Ms Hoddinott,
FOI request: FOI-1315
Thank you for your request dated 07/02/2024
Your request will be answered by 06/03/2024
If you have any queries about this request, please contact me, quoting the
reference number above.
Yours sincerely,
David White
Head of Information, Safety and Community Services
Directorate of Communities, Environment and Central
Royal Borough of Greenwich
* 3^rd Floor, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London, SE18
6HQ
8 [2]www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk
ü Please consider the environment before printing this email
Dear Ms Hoddinott,
FOI request: FOI-1315
Thank you for your request dated 07/02/2024
Our response is as follows:
1. In the financial years 21/22, 22/23 and 23/24 (Up to 07.02.24), could
you please provide me with the total monetary value of council-related
debts (such as council tax, parking fines, failures to pay business
rates and housing arrears) which were referred to external enforcement
agencies?
Housing Arrears
· Monetary value of Former Tenant Arrears (FTA) Debt
Collection Agency (DCA) cases for rent arrears is based on total FTA debt
(£7,490,254 – Jan 2024) divided by total number of FTA cases
(7413) = £1010 average FTA debt
· Number of cases to external debt collection agency:
23/24 = 20 x £1010 = £20,200
22/23 = 18 x £1010 = £18,180
20/21 = 15 x £1010 = £15,150
Council Tax & Business Rates
Year Council Tax Business Rates
2021/22 £4.3m £1k
2022/23 £7.6m £4.1m
2023/24 £9.1m £3.1m
Parking
Monetary Value council-related debts Re EA’s
2021/22 £2,632,828.49
2022/23 £0
2023/24 £0
2) Of this figure, please could you provide the amount that was recovered
by external debt agencies broken down for each of the financial years
referenced?
Council Tax & Business Rates
Year Council Tax Business Rates
2021/22 £559k £29k
2022/23 £727k £420k
2023/24 £879k £839k
Parking
Recovered by external debt agencies broken down for each of the
financial years referenced
2021/22 £509,111.45
2022/23 £138,768.97
2023/24 £6,549.90
Information not held by Housing
3) For each of those financial years, please provide the number of
complaints the council has received about the conduct of external bailiffs
and debt collectors.
Council Tax & Business Rates
Year Council Tax & Business Rates
2021/22 3
2022/23 1
2023/24 1
Parking
No of complaints the council has received about the conduct of
external bailiffs & debt collectors
2021/22 There are approx. 9 complaints registered
2022/23 There are approx. 9 complaints registered
2023/24 0
No Housing Complaints recorded
If you have any queries about this correspondence, please contact me,
quoting the reference number above.
If you are not satisfied with our response to your request, you can ask
for an Internal Review. Internal review requests must be submitted within
two months of the date of receipt of the response to your original
request. If you wish to do this, please contact us in writing, setting
out why you are dissatisfied.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the Internal Review, you may
apply directly to the Information Commissioner (ICO) for a decision.
Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the
Internal Review procedure provided by the Council. You can contact the ICO
by emailing [1][email address], or by post at Customer Contact,
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow,
SK9 5AF.
Yours sincerely,
David White
Head of Information, Safety and Community Services
Directorate of Communities, Environment and Central
Royal Borough of Greenwich
* 3^rd Floor, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London, SE18
6HQ
8[2]www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk
ü Please consider the environment before printing this email
From: foi <[Greenwich Borough Council request email]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 7, 2024 10:33 AM
To: 'Helen Hoddinott' <[FOI #1082174 email]>
Cc: foi <[Greenwich Borough Council request email]>
Subject: FOI-1315 - Council use of enforcement agencies for
debt-collecting
Dear Ms Hoddinott,
FOI request: FOI-1315
Thank you for your request dated 07/02/2024
Your request will be answered by 06/03/2024
If you have any queries about this request, please contact me, quoting the
reference number above.
Yours sincerely,
David White
Head of Information, Safety and Community Services
Directorate of Communities, Environment and Central
Royal Borough of Greenwich
* 3^rd Floor, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London, SE18
6HQ
8 [3]www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk
ü Please consider the environment before printing this email
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