Collecting the Money - Liberal Democrats Make it Easier for Customers to Pay

7.10.42pm BST (GMT +0100) Sun 10th Oct 2004

Milton Keynes Council is now more effective at collecting outstanding debts - and is introducing more ways to pay to make it even easier for customers to settle what they owe.

The whole payment system is being improved and customers will soon be able to use credit or debit cards to pay for more council services. The Internet enables payments to be made 24 hours a day. Direct Debit is a hassle-free option for regular monthly bills like Council Tax.

Councillor Cec Tallack, Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member with responsibility for finance, said: "We are keen to recover the debts outstanding to the Council as this money can be used to improve our services. But we are equally keen that our debt recovery system is fair to everyone, especially those on low incomes. We would like to encourage all our customers to pay on time but we cannot stress too much the need to let us know if there is a problem so we can come to a solution together."

When people contact us about a debt owed to the Council, we will:

• check if they should be paying less or nothing at all

• check if all relevant benefits, discounts, exemptions and rebates are being claimed

• inform the customer about all the payment methods available

• tell them where to get independent advice, if they need it.

"If you are in arrears, we will help you plan payments that you can afford. Don't leave it and let the debt mount up - get in touch now," said Councillor Tallack.

The council has set new targets for improving debt collection even further. It aims to collect 95% of all debts within 90 days during 2004/5.