Neath Port Talbot Council is offering reassurance to residents who may find themselves struggling to pay their Council Tax bill during the Coronavirus outbreak.
The Council has confirmed that it will be relaxing its normal rules against those who fall behind with their payments.
Whilst the Coronavirus situation remains critical, the Council is suspending all enforcement for three months (April, May, June) – this may be extended depending on how the current situation unfolds.
There will be no Reminders, Summonses or Liability Orders being actioned, and if you have an agreement or existing attachment order in place and wish to discuss, please e-mail council.tax@npt.gov.uk.
Councillor Rob Jones, the Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, said:
“I am acutely aware of the financial pressures many of our residents are experiencing and, like other authorities across Wales, we are lobbying the Government to assist in some of the Council Tax burden for those residents.”
“In the meantime, we want to do everything we can to help those who are facing money problems, and this is why we have made the decision to suspend enforcement action for those who are currently unable to make Council Tax payments.”
“I would also encourage those who are facing such difficulties to contact our Council Tax team who can help to reduce and reschedule payments.”
“When the critical circumstances have lessened, we will contact those who have fallen behind with payments to discuss how we can help them get their Council Tax accounts back on track.”
The Council is urging all residents who are able to continue to pay their Council Tax bill to do so as normal. The income from Council Tax is vital for funding frontline services that people rely on; in particular, for those who are most vulnerable.
Residents who may be facing difficulties in making their Council Tax payments can request alternative payment plans using the online form which can be found using the following link: https://www.npt.gov.uk/22671
Please note residents may experience difficulty contacting us by phone as the team is currently operating with reduced numbers of staff and we urge you to complete the online form with your queries if possible, rather than by phone. Please bear with us at this time.
For more information on Neath Port Talbot Council’s response to the coronavirus outbreak and what to do if you need support, visit www.npt.gov.uk/coronavirus.
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