FOI release

Council tax arrears

Case reference FOI2026/00726

Received 1 May 2026

Published 11 May 2026

Request

Under the Freedom of Information Act, and with relation to your local authority, can you please provide me with the following information? 1. The total amount owed to the council in council tax arrears within your local authority on the latest date which figures were available. 2. The total number of people who are currently in arrears of payment of their council tax to your local authority (arrears defined as having missed at least one payment)? 3. The total number of people who currently have debt management procedures commenced against them by your authority for non-payment of council tax (including those under any escalation process in debt recovery, receiving e.g. automated reminders, letter before action and referral to debt collection agency)? 4. The total number of people who have had court proceedings begun against them relating to non-payment of council tax in your local authority in 2023/24 and 2024/25?

Response

1. The total amount owed to the council in council tax arrears within your local authority on the latest date which figures were available.
9,253,216.20 (this includes all outstanding balances to 01.04.2026, as well as any outstanding instalments for the current year that are at least a month old. It does not include any balances for accounts which are in credit)
2. The total number of people who are currently in arrears of payment of their council tax to your local authority (arrears defined as having missed at least one payment)?

6867
3. The total number of people who currently have debt management procedures commenced against them by your authority for non-payment of council tax (including those under any escalation process in debt recovery, receiving e.g. automated reminders, letter before action and referral to debt collection agency)?

7346

(this sum represents accounts where there is an outstanding balance where the notice is at least at reminder stage)
4. The total number of people who have had court proceedings begun against them relating to non-payment of council tax in your local authority in 2023/24 and 2024/25?

2023-2024: 1213

2024-2025: 2241

(these are counts of individual accounts that have been recorded as having been summonsed during these periods).

Documents

There are no documents for this release.

This is Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.