Millions have been saved
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) delivered £2.3 million in savings in the past year to people with council tax enquiries.
Analysis released by CAS earlier this year revealed that 2,257 people sought help from the Citizens Advice network with a complex debt issue involving council tax, owing a cumulative £6.8million in council tax arrears.
Worryingly, the average debt owed was over £3,000– almost three times the average council tax bill of £1,201.
CAS is warning that some people, even if they benefit from a freeze on council tax increases, will struggle to pay their bills because of financial pressures caused by the pandemic and is encouraging people to check if they could be entitled to a saving through their online tool www.checkmycounciltax.scot which can identify possible reductions, discounts or exemptions.
CAS is also encouraging on people to make use of the Scottish Government’s Council Tax Reduction scheme which can help reduce future payments. For some people, it can also offer a backdate of up to six months in certain circumstances.
Myles Fitt, CAS financial health spokesperson, said: “As we emerge from the pandemic many people are facing a cliff edge when it comes meeting the cost of living and one of these is paying council tax.
“Council tax debt is the number one debt issue the Citizens Advice network sees, and while there may be some respite for those that get a council tax freeze, the reality is in the months to come people will be really struggling to make ends meet as furlough and various payment support schemes wind down.
“That’s why we’re encouraging people to see if they could be entitled to reductions, discounts or exemptions from their council tax bill, last year alone the Citizens Advice network helped people save an average of almost £400 for a total of £2.3million.
“Our online tool at www.checkmycounciltax.scot guides people through the process and shows if they could be entitled to any savings, and there are always other options to boost incomes and reduce other living costs through our Money Map tool at www.moneymap.scot.
“Councils across Scotland showed a real empathetic approach to those who found themselves in council tax payment difficulties, and the payment breaks in the first six months of the pandemic were extremely welcome. However this has led to arrears building up, arrears that will be difficult to meet for the many people who have during that period experienced an income drop due to unemployment or reduced working hours.
“The levels of council tax debt the network sees are absolutely eye-watering - £6.8million in total, with average debts of more than £3,000 almost three times the average council tax bill.
“With the pandemic biting people’s finances, it’s never been more important to check to save.”
