Issue - decisions

The Portfolio Holder introduced the report which proposed the formal write-off of £356,566.67. The proposals were in line with the Council’s Revenues and Benefits Service Write-Off Policy. The Director of Finance and Economy had been consulted along with the Heads of Service for relevant areas. The Portfolio Holder praised the work of the Senior Recovery Officer and her team and said that it had been a real “eye-opener” for him to see the lengths they went to in retrieving debts. He said he would be happy to arrange a briefing session in this area for any interested Member who contacted him. He advised that he had also asked the report authors to include the collection rate in future reports to put the write-offs totals in context.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Development said it was worth noting that whilst it was an important accounting exercise to write-off such debts, they would still stand against the individuals and if opportunities to recover them emerged in the future, they would be pursued.

Resolved:

That    (i)        the action that accounts totalling £57,761.81 had been written off         under delegated powers be noted (Financial Regulations 11.1)

(ii)       the write offs listed in the Exempt Appendices totalling £298,804.86 be approved.