How council tax is collected can have an impact on the lives of low-income households. The handling of council tax arrears and the extra costs that can be incurred in the collection process can cause extreme poverty or destitution, and may increase levels of problem debt.
Local authorities in England can choose how to collect council tax, and different best practice models designed to collect from financially vulnerable citizens are emerging. Policy in Practice has reviewed different collection processes across London for the Greater London Authority and evaluated their impact on citizens and councils.
Listen back to hear
- Barriers to the adoption of more flexible policies
- Empirical evidence of the factors influencing collection rates
- How councils can optimise collection rates whilst also protecting vulnerable citizens
View the webinar
The research showed that collection policies could be fairer without an adverse effect on collection rates.