Ordinary families, sensibly cut their coat according to their cloth. Their spending is dictated by their income. They pay their bills, council and other taxes. Those who are genuinely unable to pay their council tax, do not have to. The benefits system relieves them of this obligation. That is right and fair.
What is neither right nor fair is that some should escape paying council tax as a result of slipshod collection mechanisms. Any Sandwell Labour councillor will be quick to tell you about “cuts”. This is shorthand for the coalition government and now the Conservative government getting Britain like a responsible family would, to live within its means. Not to live on borrowed money and not to saddle future generations with a mountain of debt. These same Labour councillors will be much less keen to tell you about;
1. money wasted by Labour Sandwell council
2. historic over-manning at the council,
3. the eye watering sums some senior council employees are paid (a salary of £208,000 p.a. for the most favoured)
4. the so called “special responsibility payments” Labour Sandwell councillors pay themselves which for most of them doubles their basic allowances and
5. the slipshod collection of council dues.
In the last five years Sandwell Council has written off £11.7 million of business rates and council tax. It is obviously sensible once it becomes clear that arrears will never be paid to stop chasing them but Sandwell has a track record of failure to properly collect the rates and council tax it is owed.
For the last financial year Sandwell is owed £3.8million in council tax. There is still £2.8 million owing for the previous year. £1.9million for the year before and £1.5million and £1.4million for the years 2011-12 and 2010-11 respectively.
Unless money is collected properly, which means when it is due, then collection becomes more difficult, it may become necessary to write off more debts and those who do pay their business rates and council tax find themselves bearing a greater burden. Not fair, not efficient, not right.