SOMERSET Council is urging residents to be aware of temporary delays in council tax processing due to the rollout of a new Revenues and Benefits system.

The council say the new system will bring long term benefits but has created a backlog of updates, including changes of address, household circumstances and single occupancy discount applications.

They say that their teams are working hard to process as many outstanding changes as possible ahead of bills being issued.

However, some residents may still receive bills that do not yet show reported updates.

This means those residents will also receive a second revised bill at a later date showing any changes.

The temporary backlog has been caused by an increased volume of Council Tax updates, the consolidation of several older systems into one modern platform and staff adjusting to new processes.

As a result, processing times are currently taking longer than normal.

Cllr Bill Revans, leader of Somerset Council, said: “We understand that this may be a worrying time for some residents, and I want to thank everyone for their patience while we complete this essential transition to a more efficient system.

“Our teams are working extremely hard to reduce the backlog, and I want to reassure you that updates are being processed as quickly as possible. The new system will ultimately make things clearer and easier for residents across Somerset.”

Residents are encouraged to use the council’s online services for information and to report changes.

The council ask residents to avoid calling the contact centre unless the enquiry is urgent and to allow extra time for updates to be completed.

Further updates will be shared on the Somerset Council’s website and social media channels as the billing period approaches.

Visit the council tax webpages for more information.