Data collected from Havering Council has revealed recent shortfalls in council tax payments amounting to millions of pounds. 

A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the council has provided an insight into the state of tax collections in the borough. 

The council was asked to provide data relating to individual cases of uncollected council tax and the total amount of uncollected council tax in the borough. 

The figures and case numbers were split into years. 

In Havering, the total amount of uncollected council tax between 2023-2024 is £6,682,795.55. 

The tax shortfall figure is outstanding from 9,549 individual cases where tax has been uncollected in either part or in full. 

Havering Council's unclaimed tax balance has been on the rise since 2019-2020, where the council recorded £2,304,623.50 in outstanding tax payments from just 3,492 cases. 

In 2022-2023 these figures almost doubled, with £4,236,301.84 in uncollected tax from 6,570 cases. 

A spokesperson for the council reported that in 2023-2024, Havering Council collected 96 per cent of the council tax due, which amounted to more than £184 million. 

They claimed that the collection rate is in the top ten highest collection rates across London. 

The spokesperson said: “There are many different reasons why people don’t or can’t always pay their Council Tax which is why it takes longer in some cases to recover the outstanding debt.

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"The cost of living crisis has also impacted on collection rates nationally.

“The council will always try to help residents who genuinely can’t afford to pay but equally we will take strong action to recover the debts of those who choose not to pay as ultimately this costs responsible taxpayers more in the long-run.”

The FOI request was submitted and data was collected by Accidents Claims Advice.