Ref

Operating Service Levels

Service Failure

Monitoring Method

Performance Monitoring Period

Rectification Y/N

Rectification Period

Service Failure Severity Level

Council Tax Collection and Recovery

The Service Provider shall ensure that amounts of Council Tax collected by it on behalf of the Authority are collected and recovered as follows. The Service Provider shall:

•  use the most cost-effective, secure and timely methods of collection including use of direct debit;

•  offer payments methods which are simple and cheap for Council Tax Payers to use including web-based, telephone and Direct Debit7;

•  Failure to provide required payment method;

•  [♦] complaints from the public regarding difficulty using payment systems in [♦] period.

•  action requests from the public for changes in payment method and issue revised documentation and a bill to the relevant person at the correct address within [X] days of request;

•  More than [♦]% of cases late;

•  More than [♦] of cases wrongly addressed.

•  provide to the Authority an accurate schedule of names and addresses of persons paying by Direct Debit within [X] days of [insert date] of each year;

•  Schedule not delivered on time and/or inaccurate due to failure by Service Provider to comply with its obligations under this Agreement.

•  promptly identify and verify overpayments of Council Tax prior to refunding accounts or, as appropriate, transfer any overpayment to a new account if the payer is moving within the Authority Area;

•  [♦]% or more overpayments identified are not verified and/or inaccurate.

•  action refunds 8within [X] days of an overpayment being identified;

•  More than [♦] of cases late over a [♦] period.

•  return post dated cheques that are not reasonably acceptable with an explanation within [X] days of receipt;

•  More than [♦] of cases late over a [♦] period;

•  [♦] or more complaints from members of the public in [♦] period in relation to this issue.

•  notify payers of Council Tax of dishonoured cheques or other failed payment method and request a replacement payment within [X] days of notification of failure ;

•  More than [♦]% late in any [♦] period.

•  improve the overall Council Tax arrears position of the Authority year on year by [X]%;

•  Failure to meet targets in any Authority Financial Year [pro-rated for first and last Contract Years]

•  accurately and comprehensively monitor all arrears both pre and post court action;

•  Monitoring reports to Authority contains material inaccuracies and/or are incomplete.

•  supply to the Authority a comprehensive annual plan and timetable for recovery of Council Tax arrears within [X] days of the commencement of each Authority Financial Year;

•  Plan and/or timetable is delivered up to [♦] days late;

•  Plan and/or timetable is delivered more than [♦] days late.

•  liaise with the relevant Magistrates Court and book court time for complaint, Liability Order and committal hearings by [insert date] of each year;

•  Service Provider is materially late in booking court times.

•  issue summonses to the correct address within [X] days of signature by a Magistrate;

•  More than [X] summonses are returned to Service Provider by reason of being sent to the wrong address;

•  More than [♦]% of summonses delivered late.

•  prepare accurate and comprehensive documentation in respect of an application for a Liability Order within [X] days of the relevant hearing;

•  Service Provider prepares relevant documentation late;

•  Documentation prepared is materially inaccurate or not comprehensive.

•  notify the relevant Council Tax payer of the award of a Liability Order in respect of him within [X] days of the relevant hearing

•  More than [♦] Council Tay payers are sent such notification after the relevant time.

•  issue to each relevant  Council Tax payer a Request for Information in respect of continued non-payment within [X] days of obtaining a Liability Order and at least [X] days prior to issue to a bailiff;

•  More than [♦]% of Requests for Information are late.

•  prepare accurate and comprehensive documentation in respect of the imposition of fines/ failure to respond to a Request for Information within [X]

•  Service Provider relevant documentation late;

•  Documentation prepared is materially inaccurate or not comprehensive.

•  account to the Authority for any court costs received by the Service Provider within [X] days of their award.

•  More than £[♦] per [♦] is received late in any [♦] period;

•  Service Provider does not pay all of relevant amount within [♦] of due date.

The Service Provider shall ensure that [all] funds received by it in respect of Council Tax are transferred to the Authority by means of [X]9 within [X] days of receipt.

•  More than £[♦] per [♦] is received late in any [♦] period;

•  Service Provider does not pay all of relevant amount within [♦] of due date.