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Hundreds in line at court to pay bills

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Hundreds of people were left queuing round the block outside a court after failing to pay their council tax bills.

The city council issued 2,163 summonses to residents to appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Friday, to try to sort out unpaid bills.

More than 2,000 of those summonses were sent to residents who received council tax bills for the first time in April, after Government reforms to the welfare system and they had built up arrears of up to £250.

The council applied to the magistrates for legal orders which allow it to automatically deduct money from people's earnings or benefits and called people to court if they wished to challenge the move.

As well as the city council summonses on Friday, North West Leicestershire District Council lodged 1,762 similar orders and there were others from Harborough District Council and Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.

One passer-by told the Mercury: "I think there were 200 to 300 people in all.

"They couldn't all get in the court at once and there were huge queues outside going back round the corner.

"It was quite confusing because there were solicitors inside the court telling people that they needn't have turned up."

A city council spokesman said about 100 city residents turned up to court.

It sent staff to discuss payment options so they would not have to appear before magistrates or to advise them on whether they could apply for help from a £315,000 emergency fund set up to assist those struggling with bills.

The city council is legally required to collect council tax and only issues summonses to people who have not responded to an initial bill, two reminder letters and a final demand. Those summonsed face a charge of £69.50 on top of their arrears.

If people do not sign up to a repayment plan, or do so and then stop paying, they could be visited by bailiffs.

Assistant city mayor Sarah Russell said: "That would be a very last resort. We do not want to take people to court or send the bailiffs, but we do need to collect the money.

"The Government's welfare reforms have left us in a very difficult position.

"Some of the poorest families are now paying council tax for the first time and we can see they are struggling. It is important they do not ignore the letter we send in the hope the bill will go away.

"If they have a problem they should contact us so we can help them come to an arrangement."

In April, the Government stopped fully funding a national benefit scheme and told councils to run their own system.

The city council saw a 10 per cent cut in the £32 million it received from the Government to meet the costs, which means it could no longer pay 100 per cent of the council tax of 25,000 claimants of working age. They now get 80 per cent of their bill paid.

Hundreds in line at court to pay bills


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