Oldhamers owe £5m in council taxes

A STAGGERING £5m of Oldham’s council and business taxes go uncollected.

Public Services Union GMB which released the figures, called the findings a “disgrace” in the wake of Government cuts to vital services for the elderly and children.

The figures show that £3.2m of council tax and £1.8m of business tax was uncollected between April, 2010 and April, 2011, putting Oldham 13th in the regional table.

Topping the bill was Manchester, with £9.8m of council tax and £8.7m of business tax uncollected, totalling £18.4m.

Rochdale was 10th in the table, with a total of £5.3m going uncollected, broken down to £3.4m council tax, and £1.9m business tax.

The total amount of uncollected taxes throughout the country was more than £1billion.

Paul McCarthy, GMB regional secretary, said, “It is a scandal and a disgrace, at a time when vital services for our elderly and our children in our local communities are being slashed.”

Councillor Abdul Jabbar, Oldham’s cabinet member for finance and human resources, said: “Any council tax or business rates that remain uncollected are a top priority for Oldham Council.

“We are making steady progress in tackling this issue.

“Last month we prosecuted six people on the same day for not paying their council tax, and we also contacted 257 residents for failing to provide the relevant information about their circumstances.

“Our record on collection compares favourably with our neighbours.”