ELC REVENUES UNIT

Organisation Aims and Activities

1. Type of organisation

Local Authority Unit

2. Client Group

Citizens of East Lothian & internal customers

3. Secondary advice?

Yes

4. Aims

The Revenues section is responsible for the administration of Revenues including the billing and collection of Council Tax, Business Rates, Rent and Sundry Accounts.

5. Activities

1. Rent Income - operates rent collection and recovery from John Muir House, Haddington and the Brunton Hall, Musselburgh. The team has 12 members of staff and is responsible for collecting and recovering rent. In addition, staff within this team operate a Revenues enquiry service within the Brunton Hall, Musselburgh.
2. Corporate Debt - this team deal primarily with more specialised areas of recovery.  This team’s duties include, sequestration, employee arrears, former tenant arrears for rent (inc. court action), arrears checks prior to council house sales/grants/repairs and insurance claims, arrears checks and intervention on marketed properties, direct payments from income support, and other ad hoc arrears projects.  Also responsible for the preparation of bad debt submissions collected from all units and subsequent system write off of these debts.
3. Collections - operates an enquiry and cash collection facility through the area revenues offices in Haddington, Tranent and Prestonpans. Recovers Rent Arrears (including Homeless & Supported Accommodation). Responsible for debit / credit card payments and various collection reconciliations.  Also involved in system write off of bad debt.
4. Systems and Control - this team maintains the Revenues software in conjunction with I.T. with regard to security and housekeeping. They are responsible for maintaining and developing the link between the users and the software suppliers. The team run system routines for all teams and reconciles system inputs and outputs. They team also assist in other aspects of revenues development and are led by the Performance and Development officer.
5. Business Rates - Staffed by one team leader and one officer. This team administers Business Rates liability and the award of relief, exemption and the calculation of transitional relief.  Full recovery procedures are carried out for all years’ debts. There are currently 3084 non-domestic properties in the County that are managed by the team.
6. Council Tax - Currently staffed by one team leader and twelve officers. This team is responsible for the administration of Council Tax including determination of liability and the award of relief, discount and exemption, and the recovery of all Council Tax arrears.
7. Sundry Accounts - Staffed by one team leader and 4 officers. This team is responsible for the administration and issuing of debtor invoices and full recovery procedures on all years’ outstanding sundry debt as well as tenancy changes and rent charge changes on the rent accounting system.

6. Information and Advice services

Contacts and delivery methods

7. Contact details

Council HQ, John Muir House, Haddington EH41 2HA Tel 01620 827827

Rent Income team
(Haddington): 01620 827517            Fax: 01620 827188
(Musselburgh): 0131 653 4208         Fax: 0131 665 7495
Email: rentincome@eastlothian.gov.uk
Corporate Debt team: 01620 827978  Fax: 01620 827188
E-mail: corpdebt@eastlothian.gov.uk

Council Tax: 01620 827691 or 827686
Fax: 01620 827642 E-mail: counciltax@eastlothian.gov.uk

Business Rates: 01620 827683 or 827682 Fax: 01620 827149
E-mail: rates@eastlothian.gov.uk

Sundry Accounts: 01620 827385                     Fax: 01620 827149
E-mail: sundryaccounts@eastlothian.gov.uk
Rent Charge: 01620 827119            Fax: 01620 827149
E-mail:houserents@eastlothian.gov.uk

Collections: 01875 619004 Fax: 01875 615420

8. Service delivery  

    methods

Telephone Advice: Yes
Appointments: Yes
Outreach: No
Home Visits: In some circumstances
Out of Hours No.
Via e-mail: Yes
Contact Hours: Monday-Thursday 0900-1700 (last office interview at 4:30pm),
Friday 0900-1600 (last office interview 3:30pm)

9. Opening Hours

Monday-Thursday 0900-1700, Friday 0900-1600

Staffing, Funding and Training

10. Staffing

51 Full time staff members and 5 Part time staff members

11. Funding

Local Authority

12. Quality Assurance

Referrals

13. Formal referral policy - receiving?

No

14. Formal referral policy - making?

No

15. Informal reciprocal referral arrangements?

No

16. Referral procedure

No

17. Requirements

No