Council use of enforcement agencies for debt-collecting - Freedom of information requests

Title or Description: Council use of enforcement agencies for debt-collecting
FOI Number: 2024186
Date Received: 07/02/2024
Type of Request: FOI
Request or Question: 1) In the financial years 21/22, 22/23 and 23/24 (Up to 07.02.24), could you please provide me with the total monetary value of council-related debts (such as council tax, parking fines, failures to pay business rates and housing arrears) which were referred to external enforcement agencies?
2) Of this figure, please could you provide the amount that was recovered by external debt agencies broken down for each of the financial years referenced?

3) For each of those financial years, please provide the number of complaints the council has received about the conduct of external bailiffs and debt collectors.
Response: The following response was prepared and provided on behalf of Resilient Communities.

Please note that Scottish Borders Council does not hold housing stock as we are a post transfer Council and have been since 2003, and therefore we hold no information in relation to monies owed regarding housing arrears and to this we apply S17 of FOI(S)A 2002. Information in relation to the Housing associations within the Scottish Borders can be found at the following web address : Council housing and housing associations | Scottish Borders Council (scotborders.gov.uk)

As of today s date, we have passed the below figures to our Sheriff Officers.

Year Council Tax NDR
2021 2632021.62 280342.83
2022 3079088.27 617890.67
2023 4400516.04 1232259.3

Due to payments being transferred between years we are unable to accurately report on this in reference to the figures provided. As of today s date, the total figures below have been collected by our Sheriff Officers.

Year Council Tax NDR
2021 1404333.47 196708.19
2022 952276.34 626395.01
2023 823963.44 128622.68

Complaints, related to Sheriff Officers, were received by the council as follows: 7 complaints for 2022/23 and 14 complaints for 2023/24.
Related links: Council housing and housing associations