The Corporate Debt team will ensure that each customer who owes money to the Council is treated as an individual, within the Council’s equality policies and following these guidelines.
- That demand notices and invoices for all debts are produced and dispatched in accordance with legal requirements. The Corporate Debt Team to be effective must ensure that where customers have the ability to pay, they fulfil their obligations by paying their debts due to Torbay Council.
- The Corporate Debt team aims to distinguish between the debtors who cannot pay and those who will not pay.
- When a customer contacts the Council every effort is made to resolve debt problems at an early stage as well as maximise income through benefit entitlement and ensuring that relevant discounts or exemptions are applied.
- The Corporate Debt Team review each customer’s circumstances aiming to achieve a realistic and affordable payment plan for all monies owed to the Council.
- The Corporate Debt Team undertakes to communicate clearly what has been agreed with customers and the expectations of Torbay Council and the customer.
- Advice and information is available for people who owe money to Torbay Council at every stage of the recovery process.
- The Council will make referrals or signpost customers to free debt advice from agencies like the Torbay Citizens Advice Bureau
(CAB) or the local credit union the , which can offer advice on budgeting, the checking of benefit entitlements and provide information on savings schemes or low cost loans.
Aims
- and Business Rates, to collect the debt within the financial year, plus an amount to reduce any outstanding arrears, ensuring that debts do not increase and that additional court costs and fees may be reduced.
- The Corporate Debt Team will only recommend that un-collectable debts are proactively written off when in accordance with the Council’s financial regulations
- To be one point of contact where practical, for customers to make one, realistic and affordable payment arrangement to clear all monies owed to the Council.
- To ensure that relevant Council data is up to date, accurate and complete.
- Monitor systems to ensure action is taken, for example, where arrangements are defaulted.
- To arrange case conferences with appropriate departments where there are more complex cases.
Data Protection
- Personal information will be held and used by Torbay Council in accordance with therequirements of the UK Data Protection Act1998, and any other applicable legislation.
- We may lawfully disclose information to other public sector agencies to
- Prevent or detect benefit fraud and any other crime
- Support national fraud initiatives
- Protect public funds
Related Websites
Contact Corporate Debt
- Tel: 01803 207207
- Email: corporatedebt@torbay.gov.uk
- Fax: 01803 207152
