See answers to previous information requests

Please provide the following information relating to Council Tax liabilities for the financial year 2024/25. This request refers to all Council Tax accounts where liability fell within the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, regardless of when the bill was issued. Please include all accounts where liability covered the whole financial year or any part of the financial year, including part-year tenancies and mid-year changes of liability.

1. Council Tax enforcement actions
a) Number of summonses issued for non-payment of council tax: 5,513. This figure is the number of Council Tax summonses issued in the 2024/25 financial year. Note in the case of Council Tax accounts where there are multiple liable parties, the figure counts summonses sent to each liable party.
b) Number of Liability Orders granted by magistrates for non-payment of council tax: 3,382. This figure is the number of Council Tax accounts on which Liability Orders were awarded in the 2024/25 financial year.
c) Number of cases referred to enforcement agents (bailiffs): 1,580. This figure is the number of Council Tax Liability Orders, awarded in 2024/25, that were referred to Enforcement Agents. Note where one Enforcement Agent was instructed and was unsuccessful in enforcing payment and another Enforcement Agent was subsequently instructed, the same case will be counted more than once in the above figure.
d) Number of enforcement letters issued by enforcement agents on behalf of the council: This information is not held
e) Number of enforcement visits made by enforcement agents on behalf of the council: This information is not held

2. Fees and charges
a) The summons fee charged: £84
b) The Liability Order fee charged: £46
c) A breakdown of how these fees are calculated or determined: Please see attached document

3. Enforcement agent firms used
a) The names of all enforcement agent companies used by the council for council tax collection, recovery, and enforcement during 2024/25. (Please note: I am requesting only the names of the enforcement firms, not contract values or commercially sensitive information.)
Marston Recovery
Bristow & Sutor
Excel Civil Enforcement

4. Households in receipt of Council Tax Reduction (CTR)
a) Number of cases referred to enforcement agents where the household was in receipt of CTR: 162. This figure is the number of Council Tax CTR case Liability Orders awarded in 2024/25, that were referred to Enforcement Agents. Note where one Enforcement Agent was instructed and was unsuccessful in enforcing payment and another Enforcement Agent was subsequently instructed, the same case will be counted more than once in the above figure.
b) Number of Liability Orders granted where the household was in receipt of CTR: 367. This figure is the number of Council Tax CTR case Liability Orders awarded in 2024/25
c) For Liability Orders involving households on CTR, a split by:
i. Working-age households: This information is not held
ii. Pension-age households: This information is not held

5. Attachment of Benefits and Attachment of Earnings
a) Number of Attachment of Benefits (AoB) requests sent to DWP (e.g., UC or legacy benefits): 261. This figure is the number of Council Tax Liability Orders, awarded in 2024/25, on which attachments to benefits were set up. Note the same case may be counted more than once in circumstances where deductions stopped being received and a subsequent attachment to benefit was made.
b) Total value of the debt included in AoB requests (regardless of deductions taken): £257,445.44
c) Number of Attachment of Earnings Orders (AoEOs) issued: 159. This figure is the number of Council Tax Liability Orders, awarded in 2024/25, on which attachments to earnings were set up. Note the same case may be counted more than once in circumstances where deductions stopped being received and a subsequent attachment to earnings was made.
d) Total value of the debt included in AoEOs: £294,079.15
e) Number of households subject to AoEOs who were in receipt of CTR: 16