Preston City Council to offer support to residents struggling to pay council tax

6 October 2020

Residents struggling to pay their council tax bills are being urged to reach out to Preston City Council to find out what support is available to them.

Reminder letters asking people to bring their payments up to date are due to be sent out soon, with the council urging those in financial difficulty to get in touch to see what help is available.

Options including deferred payments or revised instalment plans are available to residents who have fallen behind with their payments.

Councillor Martyn Rawlinson, Cabinet Member for Resources and Performance at Preston City Council, said:

"The coronavirus pandemic has created financial uncertainty for many people who may have lost their job, had their hours reduced or been placed on furlough.

"We want to support residents who are worried about paying their council tax bill and I'd urge anyone who finds themselves in this situation to contact our dedicated welfare benefits and debt advice teams immediately to see what options and support is available."

Council tax payments help to fund key services in the city including waste disposal, street cleaning and the upkeep of parks.

However, Preston City Council only receives 16% of council tax payments to spend on services in the city with the rest allocated to police, fire and rescue, and services provided by Lancashire County Council including education and social care.

More information

• Preston City Council actively applies and prioritises the principles of Community Wealth Building wherever applicable and appropriate. Community Wealth Building is an approach which aims to ensure the economic system builds wealth and prosperity for everyone.

• Preston City Council has a designated Welfare Benefits and Debt Advice team, with specialist advisers on hand to provide tailored advice to meet specific needs - Welfare Benefits (01772) 906363 and Debt Advice (01772) 906838.

• Preston and District Citizens Advice can be contacted on 0300 330 1172 (local rate number). From the 8 October 2020 a freephone service will be available - Advice-line: 0800 144 88 48 and Textphone: 0800 144 8884 after 8 October 2020.