Council tax arrears at the 'highest level ever'

CONCERNS have been raised after new documents showed council tax arrears in Northumberland are at the highest level ever.

- JAMES ROBINSON

Total arrears owed to the council at the end of the last financial year on March 31 stood at £26.393m - up from £22.837m the previous year.

This is the cumulative total of council tax owed to the council over the years. The total amount for 2024/25 alone was £9.329m.

A report presented to members of the council's corporate services and economic growth scrutiny committee pointed to the impact of year-on-year increases in council tax, as well as increases in the cost of living generally. The Conservative-led administration at county hall has, like most local authorities, increased council tax by the maximum level allowed in recent years to cope with rising costs.