FENLAND District Council is getting tough with people who fail to pay their Council Tax. The council has sent out reminders to all who have not yet paid their April instalments. This will be followed by a court summons if the money is not paid by the seco

FENLAND District Council is getting tough with people who fail to pay their Council Tax.

The council has sent out reminders to all who have not yet paid their April instalments. This will be followed by a court summons if the money is not paid by the second week in May.

Every court summons comes with an additional bill for £65 to cover court costs, so the council is urging people to pay up soon to avoid this extra cost. The summons is an application for a Liability Order, which allows the council to recover owed money directly from a defaulters wages or by using bailiffs.

In order to speed up the process of recovering Council Tax, the council has now initiated court hearings every month rather than every two months.

While the council is clamping down on late payers, it is also keen to work with people who have fallen into arrears for previous years. The council is urging those people in difficulty to telephone the council on 01354 654321 or make contact by e-mail: counciltax@fenland.gov.uk

The council is also keen to help people on low incomes to receive the support they need with paying their Council Tax or rent. Anyone who would like help can telephone the council on 01354 654321 or via e-mail: benefits@fenland.gov.uk