Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Second Report - Council Tax Collection
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
HC 57
Published 1 December 2023
Recommendations
3
Accepted in Part
Para 17
Amend regulations to enshrine ability-to-pay principle and mandate affordable council tax repayment plans.
Recommendation
In addition, by the end of this Parliament, the Government should amend existing regulations to enshrine in law the principle that collection should be based on a resident’s ability to pay, including by requiring local authorities to offer people affordable …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts the recommendation by committing to write to all councils to stress their discretion in offering flexible payment timelines and encouraging affordable repayment plans, but it does not commit to amending existing regulations to enshrine this principle in law.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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13
Accepted in Part
Mandate local authorities to only use Enforcement Conduct Board registered enforcement agencies.
Recommendation
In preparation for this review, we recommend that the Government start to collect the necessary data, so that it has a strong evidence base on which to make a decision, and that it keep us updated on the progress of …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees to update the committee on the upcoming review process, including data collection methodology. While not requiring local authorities to use ECB-registered firms, DLUHC will write to councils encouraging them to use accredited firms.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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15
Accepted in Part
Para 85
Create an environment enabling easy, consistent data sharing to identify residents at risk of arrears.
Recommendation
The Government should not wait for local authorities to approach the Cabinet Office to learn how they can make better use of data sharing, but instead create an environment where this happens easily and consistently. We recommend that: • an …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation for universal credit applications to automatically trigger local council tax support applications due to potential bureaucracy. However, it outlines ongoing and planned actions to improve data sharing between DWP and councils, including increasing the scope of MOUs, delivering data improvements, and exploring legislative changes.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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