Council to resume debt recovery

Published: 1 July 2020

As part of our response to help residents and businesses financially impacted by coronavirus, Derby City Council announced in March that it would to suspend all recovery action on non-payment of Council Tax and business rates until Tuesday 30 June. Despite these difficult times we’d like to say a big thank you to all those who continued to pay their bills as normal.

Council Tax and Business rates make up approximately 61% of Council revenue and is essential to support vital Council services that benefit the whole of Derby. Without this revenue we will need to make hard decisions about future services.

Council Tax and Business Rates are priority debts and it is important that residents and businesses do not get into arrears and run the risk of additional court costs and other fees. Currently there are around 111,000 households who are liable to pay Council Tax and approximately 17,000 who are currently in default on their payments. There are also several thousand business rate payers who are behind with their payments. Unless our residents and businesses bring their account up to date now then recovery action will start from July.

It is not possible or desirable to delay recovery proceedings beyond the end of June. The country is steadily moving out of lockdown a decision has been taken to resume regular operation and to re-start recovery actions again to help the city in its COVID-19 recovery effort.

We understand how important it is for all our residents and business customers to stay safe and well in these unprecedented times. To help with this the council has a number of COVID secure payment methods where you can pay your Council Tax or business rates at a time to suit you without leaving your home;

Please have your Council Tax account reference or business rates account number to hand.

Online: go to www.derby.gov.uk/pay-it  to use a debit/credit card

Phone: call the 24-hour dedicated payment line 0345 600 1982 (local rate) to use a debit/credit card

Direct Debit

For Council Tax – go to www.derby.gov.uk/counciltax/directdebit

For business rates – go to www.derby.gov.uk/businessrates/directdebit

Council Tax

The Citizens Advice Bureau lists Council Tax as a Priority Debt alongside mortgages, rent and energy bills and as a priority Council Tax must be paid first over other debts such as credit cards and loans.

For those residents who have been affected and will continue to struggle to meet their Council Tax obligations the council is urging residents to go online and make their own payment plan. The system has been designed to ensure that your payment plan is acceptable to the Council and will allow you to spread your payments over the rest of the financial year. This means you can access our services 24/7 and you will not have to call in with our limited phone resources. Taking positive action now will help you and help us.

To do this please go to www.derby.gov.uk/counciltax/arrangement-to-pay

Council Tax reminders begin to be issued from Monday 6 July.

Business rates

Business rates customers who are finding payment difficult will need to make contact either by email to business.rates@derby.gov.uk  putting ‘Arrangement Request’  in the subject line or by calling 01332 642428.

Business rates reminders begin to be issued from Monday 6 July.

Cllr Nicola Roulstone, Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement said:

We know the last few months have been particularly hard on a lot of our residents and businesses and for that reason we still have systems in place to help support those struggling, but as we begin to exit lockdown now is the right time to begin to think about the future. We really do need people to pay their Council Tax and Business Rates as it’s by far our main source of income. Without that money we simply won’t be able to afford to provide the vital services we need to.

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