3. South
Cambridgeshire
District Council
• 105 Villages
• 150,000+ population
• 66,000 homes
• Healthy, wealthy, well educated residents
• Consistently top of the best places to live
• Major growth forecast
– 19,000 more homes
– 22,000 more jobs
7. Aims:
• Reduce Dependency on benefits
• Encourage claimants to make better decisions
- Get back into work
- Reduce outgoings
- Downsize housing requirements
• Reduce the benefit bill
Impact:
• Less well off have less to pay their bills
Welfare Reform
8. Universal Credit
Benefit Cap £20,000 from £25,000
Restrictions in Tax Credits
Ending of Mortgage interest
support
Council Tax Support
Welfare Reform
9. Have a Plan:
• Early Identification of customers affected
– Direct communication
– Double check our records
– Early support
• Engage with Debt Advice charities
• Train Staff
• Support Councillors
SCDC response
10. Government Grant to Councils forecast to go
altogether by 2020:
2010 £7.8m
2015 £2.3m
2020 ?
South Cambs budget £16m p.a. (non housing)
Imperative collection rates maintained
Direct Funding Cuts
11. • Council Tax 66,000 Households
• Average Bill £1,600 p.a. gross (£1,250 net)
• Total Collectable £83m (net of reliefs / discounts)
• Business Rates 3,500 accounts
• Average bill £21,000
• Total Collectable £71m
• Rents 5,500 Households
• Average Bill £5,000 p.a. (£100 per week)
• Total Collectable £27m
• Other Debtors c 11,000 p.a.
How Many Debtors?
15. Managing Customer Contact:
• Brought Contact Centre on site, in-house
– Recruited for behaviours
– Comprehensive training programme
– Empowered agents
• First time resolution 60% to 85%
– Flexible (but cheap) call-handling systems
• Recruited and trained temporary Staff
SCDC approach
16. Get it right, first time, on time
• Dedicated, well trained and motivated team
• Typically 10 days to process data
– Billing
– New properties
– Change of Circumstances
– Benefit Awards
• Easy payment methods
• Liability not challenged in Court
Collection SCDC approach
17. Robust, consistent approach to late payment:
• Prompt single reminder
– Can be seen as threatening
– No exceptions
– Used to prompt contact, even if hostile
• Good contact channels available
• Identify won’t pays from can’t pays
• Take the legal remedies
• Debtors know what to expect
Collection SCDC approach
18. Support Can’t Pays closely:
• Active management:
– Prompt identification, swift action
– Realistic payment plans
– Debt Advice
– Help debtors understand need to prioritise
– Single view of the debtor
• Targeted use of Discretionary Housing support
• Consequences set out clearly, consistently
Collection SCDC approach
20. South
Cambridgeshire
District Council
Civil Enforcement
• Moral pressure from charities ( “stop the
knock” “ the wolf at the door” )
• Both anti-bailiff campaigns do not reflect
the overhaul of the enforcement industry
through Taking Control of Goods
regulations
22. South
Cambridgeshire
District Council
Civil Enforcement
• Swift, firm action preventing large debts from
accruing
• Process driven timetable of events that we stick to.
• Residents understand consequences of non-payment
and helped to make the best choices
• Corporate debt approach / look at all debts owed
to council when negotiating repayment
23. Proud to be top of the league:
• Accept that we should be there though
– Demographics
– GVA
• To get there and stay there we have to:
– Get it right
– Be timely
– Be consistent
– Be supportive
Conclusion