Somerset West and Taunton Council has set up a dedicated project team to help customers out of Council Tax and Business Rate debt.

The project will look at improving general housekeeping, building business intelligence on customers in debt and internal procedures for case resolution.

It will also look to identify and engage with customers with large debts or multiple unpaid debts and those with vulnerabilities. Any additional income collected will be used to pay for essential services.

 Cllr Ross Henley, executive member for internal operations, said: “Our aim is to engage with customers to help them get out of debt.

“We recognise with the ongoing Covid-19 crisis and the increase in the cost of living some customers are struggling to pay.

“The key message is if customers contact us, we promise to help genuine cases that cannot pay.

The small minority that wilfully refuse to pay we will pursue through enforcement actions.”

Anyone who has outstanding Council Tax or Business Rate debts can contact [email protected].