Check for Council Tax discount of up to £800 as number of people in arrears soars
dailyrecord.co.ukStepChange Debt Charity Scotland’s latest quarterly client data has revealed the ongoing pressure that Council Tax is having on households, as average arrears per household in Scotland has risen by 11 per cent year on year.
The average Council Tax arrears amount for those seeking help from the charity is an average of £2,075 - up from £1,871 over the same period last year.
The new figures also show an increasing number of people on benefits seeking help with debt problems. Two in five (40%) Scottish clients are in receipt of Universal Credit, which is up by six percentage points compared to April to July of 2023 (34%).StepChange Scotland is concerned that arrears across household bills are still rising, despite inflation falling in recent months and is urging people to make sure they are not missing out on extra benefits or Council Tax discounts or reductions.The charity said lower income households continue to feel cost of living pressures more acutely, as higher bills take up a larger proportion of their income, and make it more difficult to repay debt.StepChange would like to see the Scottish Government and the new Labour Government commit to building up financial resilience among those on lower incomes and making essential bills more affordable.They say it’s vital that households aren’t pushed into debt through covering essential living costs.
The charity has long been calling on the Scottish Government to implement effective reforms to Council Tax collection, which would lessen the hardship that this bill can cause especially to the most financially vulnerable.
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