Council tax collection

Contrary to what certain commentators would have us believe, councils do not relish taking people to court over late payments.

On a purely practical level, once the costs of investigation, civil court action, appeals and enforcement are factored in, any sum recovered may well be cancelled out.

Councils must also bear in mind - as Swindon’s clearly does - that council tax debt can accrue for a host of reasons.

While there are undoubtedly people who simply refuse to pay because they are selfish and have no sense of responsibility to the wider community, there are many others who do not fall into that category.

There are some, for example, who have unexpectedly fallen on hard times, perhaps because of the loss of a job. In such circumstances it is easy to panic as bills begin to mount, and when people panic over finances they often fail to prioritise liabilities.

Some vulnerable people resort to taking loans from predatory, shady companies which then bleed them dry.

While sending in the bailiffs might prove to be the only viable option in the case of the defaulters who consciously refuse to pay, it is not appropriate for other categories of non-payers.

The council’s debt recovery pilot scheme has seen, among other results, the setting up of 663 payment plans and more than 240 referrals to debt management services.

In addition, some 911 debts were simply paid immediately, The key to this success is simple telephone calls from well-trained staff, and we welcome the expansion of the scheme.