FOI Request - Debt Recovery through Universal Credit Reduction

Request 101003252037

I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA).

1. Whether your organisation has an arrangement with the Department of Work and Pensions to recover council tax or other forms of public debt through reducing universal credit payments
2. If your authority does have an arrangement like this in place, please tell me how much money per financial year your organisation has recovered through reducing universal credit payments, for the last 5 financial years.

Response 16-03-2023

1. Moray Council has an arrangement with the DWP to recover Council Tax from Council Taxpayers benefits, including universal credits.

2. Information note held specifically for Universal Credit. We are not able to state the quantity and value specifically for universal credits. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.

The figures below are for all benefit deductions as at 9th March 2023. The quantity could include the same Council Taxpayer having multiple deductions each year but we are not able to identify how many individual accounts have had payments collected from benefits. The figures below are total payments from benefit deductions and their value, posted to Council Tax accounts each year requested.

2018 – 5501 payments for £77,807.64
2019 – 7480 payments for £103,331.47
2020 – 4932 payments for £68,616.25
2021 – 3334 payments for £47,930.47
2022 (so far) – 2464 payments for £36,256.23