1. Since April 2020, has the council at any point used debt enforcement agencies (or similar service providers) in relation to cases of outstanding council tax debt? If the answer to question 1 is ‘no’, the council should proceed to questions 8 and 9.
Yes.

2. What are the debt enforcement agencies referred to in response to question 1?
The Enforcement Agents used since April 2020 are:
Marston Recovery
Bristow & Sutor

3. How many council tax debt cases were referred to each of the debt enforcement agencies listed in response to question 2 in each financial year 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23?
Marston Recovery
2020/21: 342
2021/22: 1,556
2022/23: 1,102

Bristow & Sutor
2020/21: 455
2021/22: 1,497
2022/23: 2,129

Total: 7,081

Figures above are the reported number of cases/ Liability Orders referred to the Enforcement Agents. Please note, where one Enforcement Agent was instructed and was unsuccessful in enforcing payment and another Enforcement Agent was subsequently instructed, the same debt will be counted more than once in the above figures.

4. How much unpaid council tax debt (preferably including any ‘penalty’ fees/charges) was referred in total to debt enforcement agencies in the financial years 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 combined? This should be one figure, combining all the debt enforcement agencies and all three financial years
£8,039,203.95

Above is the total of the Council Tax debt, including costs, issued to Enforcement Agents for collection in the three financial years. Please note, where one Enforcement Agent was instructed and was unsuccessful in enforcing payment and another Enforcement Agent was subsequently instructed, the same debt will be counted more than once in the above figures.

5. How much of the council tax debt stated in response to question 4 was collected after being referred to a debt enforcement agency? Again, this should be one figure combining all agencies and all three financial years (including debt that was collected in a later financial year than when it was referred)
£1,290,509.95

6. The total number of council tax accounts in each council electoral ward in 2022/23 (this is all council tax accounts, not just those carrying debts or referred to debt enforcement agencies). Preferably this should be a whole-year figure, but if that is not possible a snapshot figure will suffice. If possible within the section 12 cost limit, I would like these figures to exclude accounts relating to designated second homes and empty properties
Please note: The electoral wards in which Council Tax accounts/ properties are situated are not recorded on the Council Tax database, so information cannot be extracted specifically relating to electoral wards. However, the parishes within which accounts/ properties sit are held on record. When comparing parishes to wards it is evident that some parishes contain more than one ward but that parish data may still be of use for the purpose of the response to questions 6-9, rather than no information being provided. The available data does not exclude second homes and empty properties.

Arborfield: 1,337
Barkham: 2,003
Earley: 12,323
Charvil: 1,177
Finchampstead: 5,263
Remenham: 278
Ruscombe: 531
Hurst: 898
Shinfield: 7,054
Sonning: 659
Swallowfield: 951
Twyford: 3,002
Wargrave: 1,739
Winnersh: 4,205
Wokingham Without: 2,939
Woodley Town: 11,665
Wokingham Town: 16,647

Total: 72,671

Figures above are the reported number of Council Tax accounts in 2022/23 by parish.

7. The number of council tax accounts that were referred to debt enforcement agencies for council tax debt collection in 2022/23, broken down by electoral ward. This means those accounts where the referral took place during 2022/23. If possible within the section 12 cost limit, I would like these figures to exclude accounts relating to designated second homes and empty properties
Arborfield: 73
Barkham: 44
Earley: 251
Charvil: 18
Finchampstead: 100
Remenham: 4
Ruscombe: 16
Hurst: 18
Shinfield: 209
Sonning: 10
Swallowfield: 22
Twyford: 33
Wargrave: 38
Winnersh: 106
Wokingham Without: 105
Woodley Town: 239
Wokingham Town: 364

Total: 1,650

Figures above are the reported number of Council Tax accounts on which a Liability Order/s were updated to Enforcement Agent stages in 2022/23.

8. The total number of council tax accounts in each council electoral ward at present (this is all council tax accounts, not just those carrying debts or referred to debt enforcement agencies). This should be the most recent snapshot figure available. If possible within the section 12 cost limit, I would like these figures to exclude accounts relating to designated second homes and empty properties
Arborfield: 1,339
Barkham: 2,106
Earley: 12,333
Charvil: 1,196
Finchampstead: 5,338
Remenham: 279
Ruscombe: 534
Hurst: 907
Shinfield: 7,430
Sonning: 660
Swallowfield: 960
Twyford: 3,004
Wargrave: 1,736
Winnersh: 4,234
Wokingham Without: 2,948
Woodley Town: 11,670
Wokingham Town: 16,954

Total: 73,628

Figures above are the reported number of current Council Tax accounts in 2023/24 by parish.

9. The number of council tax accounts that currently have unpaid council tax debts relating to financial years prior to 2023/24, broken down by electoral ward. If possible within the section 12 cost limit, I would like these figures to exclude accounts relating to designated second homes and empty properties
Arborfield: 126
Barkham: 81
Earley: 436
Charvil: 35
Finchampstead: 201
Remenham: 4
Ruscombe: 24
Hurst: 35
Shinfield: 397
Sonning: 12
Swallowfield: 36
Twyford: 59
Wargrave: 72
Winnersh: 217
Without: 163
Woodley Town: 459
Wokingham Town: 751

Total: 3,108

Figures above are the number of reported Council Tax accounts on which there is an outstanding Liability Order debt where the Liability Order was granted before 01/04/2023. Please note, within available reports on the Council Tax database it is not possible to produce a detailed report listing outstanding debts by financial year and split by parish. It is possible to report using a reference point of the Liability Order award date, so this information has been provided.