TAX-DODGING residents have been warned their behaviour will result in court proceedings being launched against them to recoup unpaid charges - after Barnsley Council sought to convict more than 2,000 people in a single hearing.
The percentage of people in Barnsley paying their council tax on time has decreased annually, with the cost-of-living crisis named as an attributing factor.
Now, the Chronicle can reveal a total of 2,020 liability orders were initially made before last Thursday’s hearing at Barnsley Magistrates’ Court, but 80 were withdrawn and 115 accounts had been paid prior.
Of the 1,825 remaining, an extra £80 was added to each case.
According to a Freedom of Information request, council tax arrears stood at £6.1m in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021/22, which reduced to £5.8m a year later but climbed back to £6m in the last financial year.
External debt agencies instructed by the council brought back more than £4m into the coffers during the three-year period, it also confirmed, but the Chronicle understands last Thursday’s hearing was the biggest crackdown yet.
The action comes after 800 more people were charged extra having had their names appear on a tax evasion list at the same court in February.
Coun Robert Frost, cabinet spokesperson for core services, said: “If a resident falls behind on their council tax payments we will always provide support to help them avoid any formal debt recovery action.
“All our staff and partner agencies are trained to identify and tailor the approach based on individual circumstances.
“As soon as we identify that an account has fallen into arrears, we will contact the resident via text message and email to prompt engagement and help prevent recovery action.
“Residents can also contact us using our webchat or online enquiry forms.”
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities figures show the annual cost of a band D council tax property in Barnsley this year is £2,134 - three-and-a-half times more than it was in 1995/96.
If tax isn’t paid on time, the local authority send a reminder and residents in arrears have to pay within 14 days before a court summons is sent - but continual warnings have been issued over the consequences of continually failing to pay.
Liability orders give authorities the power to recover the outstanding balance on accounts such as taking money from earnings or benefits, asking bailiffs to collect, placing a charging order on a property if owned, seeking bankruptcy or starting proceedings to send someone to prison in worst-case scenarios.
However, this can only be pursued if debts rise above £750.
Finance bosses have sent out more than 40,000 council tax summons to court over the latest three-year period and, in the three months to last December, £35.5m was collected in council tax - up 5.5 per cent from £33.7m in the third quarter of 2022 - although residents’ fees have climbed by 4.99 per cent this financial year.
Coun Frost added: “We have a dedicated advice worker at Barnsley Citizens Advice who will work with residents and liaise with the council on their behalf, as well as online support available through the government-funded Money Advisor Network which helps to ensure residents can access the right support and maximise income opportunities.
“We provide a high level of financial support to residents on low incomes through our council tax support scheme and encourage all our residents to contact us or look at what support is available at barnsley.gov.uk/MMIYP.
“As a council we have to follow the statutory collection process which is set out in law, but we are always here to help and encourage our residents to contact us if they are struggling to pay.”
