Council launches investigation into early payments

Council launches investigation into early payments.

A local council has apologised to taxpayers and promised to repay individuals who faced additional fees after accepting direct debit payments early.

Norwich City Council, which serves approximately 144,000 people, said it is investigating as a “matter of urgency”.

An email expressed “sincere apologies” after the monthly direct debit payments for council tax and company rates were taken on Friday, August 29, rather than Monday, September 1. “We are sorry if this has caused any inconvenience or if this has had a financial impact on you or your business,” according to a spokeswoman.

“We are looking into how this happened so it can be avoided in the future.” The explanation goes on to clarify that the council will not attempt to collect another direct debit payment on September 1st. The text continues:

“If you have incurred any additional charges or fees from your bank, as a result of this, we will reimburse you.” The information required to file a compensation claim is laid forth, including a copy of a bank statement or a bank letter that clearly shows the fees incurred.

Sent on behalf of the council’s revenue and benefits team, it concludes: “Once again, we offer our sincere apologies for this error, and thank you for your understanding and patience.”

The authority’s council tax bands for 2025-26 vary from £1,549 per year for band A houses to £4,783 for band H.

Business rates are levied on non-domestic properties based on the rateable value, which is an estimate of the open market rental value determined by the Valuation Office Agency.

The BBC has asked Norwich City Council how the refunds will be funded.

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