HART residents are being taken to court over unpaid council tax bills - however it is residents who are refusing to pay who are being punished, rather than those who can’t afford to.

Hart District Council has been cracking down on non-payers and in figures released this week, the council reveals that a number of residents have been taken to court in some instances.

Since October 2014, the council has taken 20 people to court for non-payment with the 20 cases across the last two years totalling over £175,000.

Of these 20 cases, 13 received a suspended sentence and 15 received additional court costs totalling over £4,000.

Some of the biggest debt identified has been from properties with a band D, E or G, three of the most expensive five bands for council tax in Hart. Some of these residents have refused to pay their council tax for a period of many years. 

The clamp-down will see home owners and tenants receive a first reminder, followed by a second and then a final notice.

If all are ignored, a court summons can be be issued, with a liability order incurred on the day of a court hearing, which will lead to additional costs on top of any unpaid fees.

A 2015 report by The Independent claimed that over three million people were summoned to court over unpaid council tax, with a surge in figures down to the scrapping of benefits protecting low-income families from having to pay it.

The figures relate to the 2013-14 tax year, which was an increase of 25 per cent on the year prior to that.

While a Citizens Advice report claimed that the methods used by local authorities for collecting debt can also push people further into debt.

Of 1,000 people they asked, 56 per cent said they had to cut back on food or heating because of their council tax bill, and there had also been a 33 per cent rise in requests to the CAB for help with council tax debts over the last three years.

Hart District Council has been working with the court to arrange a repayment schedule with all residents, with one receiving a charging order on the property so the funds will be paid in full upon sale of the estate.

To date, the council has received nearly £25,000 backpayments.

Hart has emphasised however, that the cases in these newly released figures are in relation to those people who are refusing to pay their council tax, and not those who can’t afford to.

Brian Burchfield, Cabinet nember for corporate services, said: “Taking people to court for non-payment of council tax is always the last resort.

“We have been working with the residents, and enforcement agents, over a long period of time to try and collect the monies due.

“The money collected by council tax funds a range of services such as education, Police, Hampshire Fire and rescue, social care, planning, CCTV and refuse collection.

“To be clear, these are residents who refuse to pay council tax, not those who cannot afford to pay it.

“For the residents who choose not to pay is unfair on the thousands of residents who pay without fail.”

Hart says it has support readily available for people who are unable to pay their bills.

Rules dictate that people on a low income, unemployed, or who do not have savings or capital over £16,000 may be able to get help towards their bills.

For more information on Hart’s support system and further detail about paying council tax visit www.hart.gov.uk/council-tax/help-advice.