THE LOCAL Democracy Reporting Service asked Swansea and Carmarthenshire Council questions about its arrears and council tax collection.
According to Welsh Government data, arrears in Swansea were £17 million at the end of 2024-25. Council tax ranged from £1,345.43p to £4,709 across property bands A to I in that year.
– Why do you think Swansea Council has the highest council tax arrears in Wales?
The figures quoted are a snapshot in time and in the longer term we collect a high percentage of what is owed.
As one of the biggest local authorities in Wales with higher-than-average levels of poverty in some of our communities, it is inevitable that council tax arrears will be higher than in other areas of the country. In the current cost of living crisis not everyone can pay their council tax immediately.
Where we have evidence of hardship, we can allow more time to pay whilst retaining the ability to collect much needed income the authority can use to provide essential services.
– When you set the council tax base each year do you factor in a certain level of arrears, and if so is are the actual arrears higher than expected?
Every local authority assumes an initial collection rate below 100%. In 2023-24 we collected £2.5 million more than our initial assumption and in 2024-2025 we expect to collect £2 million more. A council spokesman said the figure it expected to collect, rather than the total amount, helped the council set its budget. The surpluses, he said, were due to some historic arrears being recouped in these years.
– What should somebody who is getting into arrears do, and what support is out there?
We always encourage people to contact us as soon as they find themselves in difficulty. We want to help people with financial problems so that they can agree ways to pay what they owe. We can signpost them to debt support and our and benefits teams to ensure they are getting any benefits or council tax reductions to which they are entitled. However, we will take court action where necessary.
– What action does the council take to recoup arrears, and does this involve prosecutions sometimes?
See above – our aim is always to agree a plan for the debt to be cleared. Anyone who falls behind in payments is issued with reminders. The most important thing is that people talk to us so that we can reach an agreement. Court action is always a last resort after other approaches have not worked.
– If prosecutions do take place, can you provide numbers?
Overall, in 2023-24 and 2024-25, 20,470 summonses were issued. Of these, 3,400 cases were not progressed because acceptable payment arrangements were agreed or the debt was paid in full. In the remaining cases liability orders were granted by magistrates. These orders give a council permission to collect the debt.
– How does the council offset the lost income from arrears or does it mean more savings or income-raising measures have to be implemented?
No, we don’t need to make more savings or take more income-raising measures. As noted in question 2, our budgets take into account the expectation that 100% of council tax will not be collected in its first year, but overall about 99% of it will be collected over time. We only write off debt in special circumstances when, for example, the taxpayer has passed away with no estate or in cases like bankruptcy where the cost of continuing to pursue payments are higher than the likely income expected.
– Council tax goes up everywhere, and in Swansea the increase hasn’t been as high as some councils of late, but do you think arrears will keep rising the more it does go up?
The council works hard to keep council tax rises as low as possible because those on low or fixed incomes are most likely to be affected by them. However, we strongly encourage people who are struggling to pay their bills to get in touch with us as quickly as possible so we can help them reduce the risk of non-payment.
Carmarthenshire Council also responded to questions about arrears and council tax collection. Its arrears stood at £12.3 million at the end of 2024-25. Council tax ranged from £1,345.43p to £4,709 across property bands A to I in that year.
– What does Carmarthenshire Council do to support people who are struggling to pay their council tax?
We offer a wide range of support. We have a personal budgeting officer who works with individuals facing financial difficulty, helping to establish affordable and sustainable payment plans for council tax arrears. Our teams carry out targeted outreach to residents identified as potentially struggling based on their engagement or payment history.
Our revenues team is part of the council’s tackling poverty forum, working with third sector partners including foodbanks and debt charities to signpost residents to appropriate support.
– What does Carmarthenshire Council do to recoup arrears?
We follow standard council tax enforcement and regulatory processes, including issuing reminders and summons where necessary, applying for liability orders via the courts for non-engaging residents, and using methods such as attachment to benefits, attachment to earnings, and referral to enforcement agents in cases where payment is not forthcoming. Our approach is always to encourage engagement first and enforcement is used only when other options have been exhausted.
– Is the council expecting increased arrears in 2025-26 given the 8.9% council tax rise?
At present, we have not adjusted our council tax collection rate assumptions for 2025-26.
