See answers to previous information requests

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining my query as specifically as possible.

1. In relation to your collection of council tax for the 2022/2023 council tax period please provide the total number of referrals/debts passed to enforcement agents.
3420

2. Please confirm the name of the enforcement company used by the council for the recovery of council tax debt.
Marston Recovery
Bristow & Sutor
Empira

3. Please confirm if accounts which are part of the council tax reduction/support scheme are passed to enforcement companies and if so how many such cases were passed on for the 2022/23 council tax period.
Accounts on which Council Tax Reduction is in payment are passed to Enforcement Agents for collection where payment arrangements have not been agreed and where the debt is too large to be covered by attachments to any applicable state benefits.
Number of Council Tax Reduction cases passed to Enforcement Agents in 2022/23: 620

4. Please confirm if accounts of people on health/disability related benefits such as Disability Living Allowance, Employment Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payment are passed to enforcement companies and if so how many such cases were passed on for the 2022/23 council tax period.
Accounts for people on health/ disability related benefits are included in cases passed to Enforcement Agents to collect outstanding debts subject to Liability Orders.
Number of health/ disability related benefit cases passed to Enforcement Agents in 2022/23: 187

5. Please confirm if an assessment of vulnerability is done prior to a debt being passed to an enforcement company and if so provide a brief description of what the assessment involves. Please also confirm how many cases of people assessed as being vulnerable or potentially vulnerable were passed on to an enforcement company for the 2022/23 council tax period.
Before instructing an Enforcement Agent, each case is checked by a Recovery Officer to decide on the best way to enforce payment of debt on the Liability Order. Checks include reviewing information held about the resident’s circumstances and vulnerability. Vulnerable residents are identified by reviewing any important notes and vulnerable person indicators that have been applied against the resident on the records as a result of previous contact from the resident or on their behalf reporting the resident’s vulnerability.
Number of cases assessed as being vulnerable passed to Enforcement Agents in 2022/23: 0

6. Please confirm what protocols are in place between the local authority and enforcement companies regarding the approach that should be taken when someone is assessed as being vulnerable as per the assessment referred to in Q5. Please also confirm the kinds of cases which should be raised with, or referred back to, local authorities for further consideration when encountered.
The protocols in place between the council and Enforcement Agents regarding vulnerability of residents are noted in our service level agreements with the Enforcement Agents as below:
Particular attention will be paid at compliance, enforcement and sale and removal stages to identify any debtors where caution may need to be exercised in administering their case. Where the Enforcement Company office or EA’s becomes aware of a debtor’s circumstances (or those of their partner or a dependent child living in the household) and concludes that further action may cause undue suffering or distress the Enforcement Company or its EA’s will take advice from (either) their own line management or WBC. Examples of such circumstances include (but are not restricted to) physical or mental disability; long-term or serious illness; a recent bereavement; late term pregnancy; fragility due to advanced age; difficulty in understanding, speaking or reading English.

7. Please confirm A) how many requests the council received to bring a council tax debt back from an enforcement agent due to vulnerability reasons during the 2022/23 period and B) How many times the council agreed to bring an account back due to vulnerability reasons during the 2022/23 period.
A) We do not hold records about the number of requests received by the council to bring back Council Tax debt from an Enforcement Agent due to vulnerability reasons. However, where such requests are made, full consideration is given to the circumstances of the case.

B) Number of cases agreed to be returned from the Enforcement Agents to the council in 2022/23 due to vulnerability reasons: 35