Council use of enforcement agencies for debt-collecting

Helen Hoddinott made this Freedom of Information request to North East Lincolnshire Council as part of a batch sent to 369 authorities Automatic anti-spam measures are in place for this older request. Please let us know if a further response is expected or if you are having trouble responding.

The request was successful.

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

Freedom Of Information (NELC), North East Lincolnshire Council

Dear Sir / Madam

 

I am pleased to acknowledge your request for information, which has been
allocated the reference number NELC/30384/2324.

Your request has been passed to the relevant department and you can expect
your response within the 20 working day limit. If it will take us longer
than 20 working days to respond to you, we will inform you of this and
provide you with the expected date for receiving a response.

 

Further information about how we will deal with your Freedom of
Information requests is available on our website at:

 

[1]https://www.nelincs.gov.uk/your-council/...

 

Please feel free to contact me if you require any further information or
assistance quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

 

North East Lincolnshire Council

 

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Freedom Of Information (NELC), North East Lincolnshire Council

Dear Sir / Madam

 

Thank you for your information request, reference number NELC/30384/2324.
I can confirm that North East Lincolnshire Council holds 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?

 

Parking:

2021/2022 = £74,068

2022/2023 = £75,540

2023/2024 = £76,409

 

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?

 

Parking:

2021/2022 = £18,138

2022/2023 = £20,784

2023/2024 = £13,865

 

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.

 

The enforcement agents have their own complaint process however the
Council has the below amount of complaints pertaining to the enforcement
service.

2021/2022 = 0

2022/2023 = 2

2023/2024 = 1

Please note that the Council do not send housing arrears to enforcement as
North East Lincolnshire Council is not a stock holding authority. Our
social housing stock was transferred through a Large Scale Voluntary
Transfer (LSVT) to a new registered provider of housing, Shoreline Housing
Partnership Ltd (now Lincolnshire Housing Partnership) on the 21^st March
2005. If you would like to contact the Lincolnshire Housing Partnership
you can do so by email at:  [1][email address].

For further information about the Lincolnshire Housing Partnership please
visit their website at [2]https://www.lincolnshirehp.com/contact-us/.

 

If you believe that your request for information has not been handled in
accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, you have the right to
request an internal review by the Council. If you wish to request an
internal review, please write to us detailing the reasons why. Please be
clear about which elements of the Council’s response or handling of the
request you are unhappy with, and would like the Council to address during
the internal review process.  If following this you are still dissatisfied
you may contact the Office of the Information Commissioner.

 

Yours sincerely

 

North East Lincolnshire Council

 

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