Somerset Council is urging residents to be aware of temporary delays in Council Tax processing as preparations begin for the annual billing period at the end of this month.
The annual billing cycle is always one of the busiest times of the year, but this year demand is even higher due to the rollout of a new Revenues and Benefits system. Although the new system will bring long term benefits, the transition has created a backlog of updates, including changes of address, household circumstances and single occupancy discount applications.
Teams are working hard to process as many outstanding changes as possible ahead of bills being issued. However, some residents may still receive bills that do not yet show reported updates. This means those residents will also receive a second revised bill at a later date showing any changes.
The backlog is not related to the delay in government confirming the authority’s financial settlement for the new financial year, instead, it has been caused by an increased volume of Council Tax updates, the consolidation of several older systems into one modern platform and staff adjusting to new processes. As a result, processing times are currently taking longer than normal.
Residents are encouraged to use the Council’s online services for information and to report changes, avoid calling the Contact Centre unless the enquiry is urgent and allow extra time for updates to be completed.
Cllr Bill Revans, Leader of Somerset Council, said:
We understand that this may be a worrying time for some residents, and I want to thank everyone for their patience while we complete this essential transition to a more efficient system.
Our teams are working extremely hard to reduce the backlog, and I want to reassure you that updates are being processed as quickly as possible. The new system will ultimately make things clearer and easier for residents across Somerset.
Further updates will be shared on the Council’s website and social media channels as the billing period approaches. Please visit the Council Tax webpages for more information.
