Apology after council tax blunder
West Berkshire Council has said sorry after taking 33,000 council tax and business rate payments early
WEST Berkshire Council has now apologised for an accounting error which has left tens of thousands of people across the district out of pocket today (Thursday) after direct debit council tax payments were taken a day early.
Traditionally taken from accounts on the first day of the month, which coincides with pay day for many people, the mistake saw 33,000 payments of council tax and business rates taken one day early, resulting in unnecessary debt and overdraft problems for many residents.
Several residents and business rate payers have contacted Newburytoday.co.uk complaining that the error has caused them great inconvenience and cost them money, and many have said they are unclear on whether the council will be responsible for any additional charges they have incurred.
At 3.30pm today, the council's executive member for finance, Keith Chopping (Con, Sulhamstead) said: “We apologise to our taxpayers if they have suffered any inconvenience as a result of this. A technical problem has resulted in the council tax and business rate direct debit payments being collected one day earlier than it should have been.
“If any taxpayer has incurred any bank charges as a direct result of this problem they should contact their own bank who should be able to help them under the direct debit guarantee scheme.”
A spokesman for West Berkshire Council, Keith Ulyatt said residents will not suffer the money being taken twice.
"We understand that the banks' Direct Debit Guarantee Scheme exists so that if money is taken out before it should have been, it is refunded, taken out on the agreed day, and no bank charges levied. Customers should contact their bank to ask that this happens," he said.
The shadow finance spokesman David Rendel (Lib Dem, Thatcham Central) said he was one of the many hit by the blunder and said it was a “huge embarrassment” for the ruling Conservative party.
“This was entirely the council's fault and they will have to recompense every taxpayer for any extra costs they have incurred,” he said.
“With over 31,000 individual council tax payers and over 2,000 business rate payers involved, this could potentially cost the council a considerable sum. But even worse news is that the whole affair could put people off paying their bills by direct debit, which is the cheapest and easiest method for all concerned, except when you have to deal with the hassle of sorting out mistakes like this one.”
Mr Rendel added that the council's decision not to inform of the error or give advice on its website this morning was “not helpful”.
If you have been affected by the error, contact Mark Taylor on (01635) 564532 or email mark.taylor@newburynews.co.uk
