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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Plea to write off poll tax debts | Plea to write off poll tax debts |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Scottish councils must write off all outstanding poll tax debts, according to a leading consumer body. | Scottish councils must write off all outstanding poll tax debts, according to a leading consumer body. |
| Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) said many of its clients were being pursued for arrears 14 years after the tax was abolished. | |
| Many people are finding it impossible to prove they have paid or never owed the money, the organisation claimed. | Many people are finding it impossible to prove they have paid or never owed the money, the organisation claimed. |
| Thousands refused to pay the unpopular poll tax and even now outstanding arrears are more than £400m. | Thousands refused to pay the unpopular poll tax and even now outstanding arrears are more than £400m. |
| Councils have managed to claw back about £3m per year but CAS said it was time to drop further demands. | |
| One in four Citizens Advice Bureau clients in Scotland still has an outstanding council tax or community charge debt Kaliani LyleCAS chief executive | |
| It highlighted several cases, including a pensioner couple facing the arrest of £600 from their bank account despite being adamant that they owe nothing. | It highlighted several cases, including a pensioner couple facing the arrest of £600 from their bank account despite being adamant that they owe nothing. |
| Councils north of the border can chase debts for 20 years but the body wants Scotland to copy England where the cut-off limit is six years. | Councils north of the border can chase debts for 20 years but the body wants Scotland to copy England where the cut-off limit is six years. |
| Officials will brief MSPs later on the issue. | Officials will brief MSPs later on the issue. |
| The Community Charge was introduced into Scotland in April 1989 and in England and Wales a year later. | |
| It was replaced by the Council Tax in 1993. | |
| "One in four Citizens Advice Bureau clients in Scotland still has an outstanding council tax or community charge debt," said CAS chief executive Kaliani Lyle. | |
| "But many other people are unable to prove that they have paid charges over a decade ago. Those in receipt of benefits at the time also struggle to access records kept by the then Department for Social Security for this period. | |
| "One bureau client, who told she owed £112 in community charge arrears from 1990/91, insists these sums had been paid through her wages. | |
| "However, her employer no longer has salary records going back this far and the local authority can't confirm this." |