Council could write off £100k 'unrecoverable debt'

Peterborough City Council is set to write off about £100,000 of "irrecoverable debt".

A report for the local authority's cabinet, which will meet on Tuesday, says the debt includes £48,490 of housing benefit overpayments, £21,770 related to non-payment of council tax and £30,102 in other debts.

The report says the council is committed to taking what action it can before considering writing off any debts, including via the courts and enforcement action.

"Despite our best endeavours, it is inevitable that a small percentage of debt will remain uncollected and will ultimately have to be written off," it says.

"There are a number of reasons why this happens, with the most common being where a company has gone into liquidation, an individual has been made bankrupt, a debtor has died with no funds available within the estate, or where it has not been possible to trace a debtor."

The cabinet is being recommended to approve the write-offs, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council is run by a coalition of Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Peterborough First group.

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