Walker Love Local Authority Forum

Local Authority Briefing Summer 2017

This edition focuses on the Local Authority Forum which was held at the end of May 2017.

Click here to download a digital pdf

We were delighted to be joined by Neale Tosh and Adam McCabe from Brodies, Fergus Walker from Argyll & Bute Council and Alex Reid from the Accountant in Bankruptcy.

Each of the guest speakers provided a range of insights and informative talks which the Local Authority delegates discussed during the workshop discussion session.

Issues discussed at the Forum and featured in this edition include:

  • Update on the proposed changes to the Prescription and Limitation (Scotland) Act 1973
  • The recent AiB consultation on Diligence, trends in bankruptcy and a guest article from Fiona Wilson, DAS team leader, AiB which covers the AiB’s engagement strategy.
  • Argyll & Bute Council’s strategy to tackle the housing shortage in the area
  • Walker Love’s new west coast diligence centre
  • LA Forum – delegates views on the impact of the increase in Council Tax charges

Click here to download an interactive pdf to read on your PC, tablet or mobile.

Local Authority Briefing Autumn-Winter 16/17

Welcome to the latest edition of our briefing for Scottish Local Authorities.

Click here to download a digital pdf

This edition focuses on the Local Authority Forum held in November 2016.

We were delighted that Jim McCafferty, Immediate Past President of the IRRV, Ross Nicol, Partner, McLay Murray & Spens and Kelly Quigley, AIB Head of DAS and Trust Deeds, could join us on the day.

Each of the guest speakers provided a range of insights and informative talks which the Local Authority delegates discussed during the workshop discussion session.

Issues covered during the sessions included the challenges faced by Local Authorities in delivering local services, the impact of the GDPR (the replacement for the Data Protection Act 1998) which will come into force in May 2018, and the current DAS caseload and the improvements to the scheme that are in the pipeline.

Click on the links below to download a pdf to read on your desktop, tablet or mobile

 

Local Authority Briefing Summer/Autumn 2016

Walker Love Local Authority Briefing

Welcome to the latest edition of our briefing for Scottish Local Authorities.

Click here to download a copy

Focusing on the Local Authority Forum held in June 2016, we were delighted that Yvonne MacDermid, Money Advice Scotland, Gary Weir, Glasgow City Council and Carol Kirk from the Accountant in Bankruptcy could join us on the day.

Each of  guest presenters delivered a very informative presentation with a  range of insights and discussion points, including Treating Vulnerable Clients Fairly, the new Bankruptcy legislation and the experiences so far, and improving collection rate performance and sharing best practice.

Click on any of the links below to download a pdf to read on your desktop, tablet device or mobile.

Data Protection: Know the facts
MAS: Treating vulnerable clients fairly – what needs to be done?
New legisaltion in Scotland and what’s on the AIB’s agenda 2016/17?
Working in partnership with Walker Love: Glasgow City Council case study

New Financial Health Service launched

A new Financial Health Service offering a one-stop-shop for money advice services was launched by Business Minister Fergus Ewing on December 3rd.

Scotland’s Financial Health Service website provides links to a range of organisations offering information and advice on debt, managing money, housing, homelessness and ethical lending.

A key part of the new website is a Financial Education module which aims to help people to manage their money to stop any future problems. The website also allows users to search for their local credit unions and find out about the products offered by them, and to search for approved money advisers.

There are also advice areas covering the debt arrangement scheme (DAS), trust deeds, bankruptcy and debt management plans, as well as useful links to budgeting and saving tools, benefits calculators and other advisory agencies such as Age Scotland, Citizens Advice and the National Debt Line.

Fergus Ewing commented at the launch, “It is important that we take action to help those people in Scotland who are struggling under the burden of debt. We have developed Scotland’s Financial Health Service because we must ensure that people who need to access debt and budgeting advice, do so easily with credible sources”.

Local Authority Forum October 2014

What’s been the impact of Welfare Reform in Scotland and what effects have we still to see?

How can Local Authorities use improved management information, customer profiling data and collection performance intelligence to improve recoveries?

What are the current trends in commercial insolvencies, forthcoming changes in the law – Bankruptcy and Debt Advice Bill (Scotland) – and the recent judgements that local authorities should be aware of?

These are among the questions and issues that delegates at Walker Love’s Local Authority Forum will debate at the Hilton Hotel Dunblane Hydro on 29th October 2014.

The speakers will include:

  • David Walker, Managing Partner, Walker Love
  • Peter Meehan, Local Authority Benefit and Taxation Consultant
  • John McNeill, Director Business Restructure, BDO
  • Chris Bell, Walker Love
  • Andy Fraser, Walker Love

With further roundtable discussion sessions chaired by Dorothy Lowe and James Walker of Walker Love, the Forum provides Local Authority revenues and collections teams from across Scotland’s 32 LAs an opportunity to discuss the current issues they are facing. To hear from other authorities on how they are tackling the challenges of Welfare Reform and a reducing local budget and to share opinions and best practice on developing future strategies to improve collections performance.

If you would like more information or if you would like to attend, please get in touch with Chris Bell or Dorothy Lowe, Walker Love in the first instance.

 

Local Authority Forum 2014

What can we expect from the new Bankruptcy Bill, how will the common financial assessment tool work in practice and what strategies are being employed across Scotland to encourage citizens and businesses to pay what they owe in terms of Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rates?

These are just some of the issues and discussion points which were debated by Scottish Local Authorities, Walker Love and Claire Orr from the Accountant in Bankruptcy at Walker Love’s Local Authority Forum at the end of 2013.

The next Forum is scheduled to take place in May 2014. The agenda and guest speakers will be published on these pages shortly. To attend, send an email to Chris Bell.

If you would like to receive a copy of our Forum briefing which contains features on the new Bankruptcy and Debt Advice (Scotland) Bill, the new protected trust deed regulations, money attachments: when to use and not to use and a special focus piece on the methods, approaches and joint working arrangements that have been put in place at a Scottish Local Authority, please send Chris Bell and email and he will send a copy of the Briefing to you.

The collection strategies and tactics developed by local authorities across Scotland do differ due to their own diverse demographic and geographic differences, however there is one constant which runs through all – the key to improving collection receipts and performance is largely due to improving debtor profiling, systematic targeting and sharing intelligence with other authorities and debt recovery partners. Find out how one Local Authority has improved monies collected significantly over the last couple of years by requesting a copy of Walker Love’s Local Authority Briefing.

For further information on the Bankruptcy and Debt Advice (Scotland) Bill, which is due to come into force in April 2015 >click here.

 

 

 

Council tax collection rates improving

The Scottish Government recently announced Council Tax collection rates have improved steadily from 87.2% in 1998-99 to 91.4% in 2002-03 and now 95.1% in 2012-13.

In 2012-13, the total amount of Council Tax billed (excluding Council Tax Benefit) in Scotland was just over £2billion and of this £1.9billion was collected by 31 March 2013. The provisional Scotland total in-year CT collection rate for 2012-13 was 95.1%, the same rate as the audited figure from the previous year. Collection rates statistics for individual local authorities ranged from 93.1% to 98.1% across the 32 areas.

Between 1993-94 and 2012-13, the overall total amount of Council Tax billed in Scotland was £30.273 billion, of which £29.192 billion, or 96.4%, was collected by 31 March 2013.

For further information, visit the Scottish Government’s website >click here

 

 

New debt advice service launched for Armed Forces

Glasgow’s Helping Heroes is a new partnership to help those who are serving in the Armed Forces through the maze of advice and assistance that is available to them. The service is also available to members of the Armed Forces immediate family and carers.

If you need advice on any of the following issues call this number now: 0141-276-7199 or visit www.glasgowshelpingheroes.org or email: arlene.mochan@glasgow.gov.uk

  • Housing and homelessness
  • Employability
  • Benefits
  • Debts
  • Mental and physical health issues
  • Financial grants

All advice is FREE and CONFIDENTIAL. Glasgows Helping Heroes is a division of SSAFA Forces Glasgow Branch. Charity Nos: SCO38056, 210760.

If you are looking for additional debt advice click here

Welfare Reforms going too deep and too fast

According to Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister “these reforms are coming against the back drop of some of the biggest cuts that we have seen to the welfare system in a generation.

“(On 7th January) we saw child benefits start to be removed from many people we estimate that will affect almost 100,000 people across Scotland and of course today the UK government presses ahead with plans to put a cap on increases to benefits including the benefits for many people who are working hard in low paid jobs.

“We would estimate that the cap on benefits including tax credits will affect around 700,000 working households across Scotland.

“So clearly these are changes with a big big impact in Scotland and I think they will cause more pain for some of the most vulnerable people and families across our society who are already struggling to cope.”

Nicola Sturgeon was giving evidence to the Welfare Reform committee on the 8th January. The committee was taking evidence on the Scottish government’s passported benefits consultation.

At our last Local Forum, we heard from the Scottish Government’s Local Authority spokesman Robin Haynes on the impact on Local Authorities of council tax benefit reduction, and from Peter Meehan a Local Authority Benefit Consultant on the solutions available to Local Authorities and Housing Associations to tackle the potential impacts of welfare reform and the introduction of universal credit later this year.

If you would like a copy of the notes and presentations please contact Chris Bell, Partner, Revenue and Collections.

Occupancy Reports

Agents acting on behalf of mortgage companies are often keen to establish the current residential status of a property where arrears are accumulating.

Principally, the enquiry is to establish if the house or premises is still occupied and by who.

We can provide a report which consists of three pages and provides information including condition of the property, description of location, approximate value and any social issues that may be encountered if repossession was to proceed.

Our investigators would also comment on how secure the premises are and if there is any apparent threat or risk from water penetration, vandalism, etc. A digital photograph is also obtained which can be emailed to client.

For more information, contact Brian Walker in the first instance.