Arrears Rise Fastest Where Support Is Cut Most

Fifteen months after Council Tax Support was localised, new figures show that arrears have increased by 20 per cent. The CLG’s new statistics on council tax collection in England – covering April 2013 to March 2014 – give us the first official data to assess the impacts of the localisation of Council Tax Support (CTS). A headline finding was that while more than £1 billion extra was collected, in-year arrears increased by £145 million – up more than 20 per cent on the previous year. Using data collected by NPI for JRF, we have linked these outcomes to the CTS scheme introduced by each council. The findings do not bode well for the future of localised CTS. Read more on the JRF website.