A PIONEERING partnership which makes it easier for Rugby residents to repay council debts has scooped a national award for innovation.
Rugby Borough Council (RBC) joined forces with Payment Plan in January to launch flexible payment plans for residents who owe council tax, loans, housing repairs or overpayment of housing benefit.
The partnership was named the winner of the Excellence in Partnership Working (Enforcement) prize at the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation’s (IRRV) Performance Awards 2024.
The new scheme means residents can set up a payment plan without having to speak to a council officer.
Residents can set the terms of the plan, deciding how much to pay, how often and when, so payments can be managed with other financial commitments.
Payments can be as low as £10 a month and, depending on the size of the debt, can be set up over a five-year period.
Since launching the partnership, the council has put approximately £800,000 of debt on to the Payment Plan platform and has collected – or secured arrangements to pay – around £275,000.
Recently, one resident set up a payment plan on a Sunday afternoon to settle a debt of £13,000.
Coun Ish Mistry, RBC’s deputy leader and spokesperson for finance, performance, legal and governance, said: “While we have a legal duty to collect money owed to the council, we understand the pressures on household budgets and want to offer residents a flexible way to manage debt on terms the resident has chosen.
“Our partnership with Payment Plan removes one of the main barriers the council faces when dealing with debts – engagement.
“We understand the difficulties of discussing debt with the council, so Payment Plan offers residents the chance to address the issue without speaking to the council at all.
“And while we always encourage residents who owe money to the council to contact us to discuss the payment options available, we’re constantly looking for innovative ways to make paying council debt easier for residents.”
The IRRV promotes best practice in the revenues, rating and valuations sector, offering a range of nationally recognised qualifications and training courses.
All debt put on the Payment Plan platform remains a debt to the council rather than Payment Plan.
Currently, residents need to receive an email invite from Payment Plan to use the platform, but the council intends to expand access to the platform in the new year.
Coun Jerry Roodhouse, RBC’s Liberal Democrat group spokesperson for finance and performance, said: “As a council, we need to find ways of supporting residents during difficult times and partnership working is one way of doing this.
“We will monitor the progress of this work.”
Visit www.rugby.gov.uk/CTandBenefits for more information on council tax and benefits.
