Council Tax “Costs” in Hartlepool Exposed: A Cash Cow Being Run at the Expense of the Struggling..

The truth behind the council’s £725k ‘costs’ claim for chasing arrears, as its been found the real expense to the council amounts to pennies

15th September 2025

Hartlepool Borough Council has been caught red-handed inflating the so-called “costs” it claims they incur when dragging residents through the courts for council tax arrears.

Their own document, handed to the Teesside & Durham Post stamped April 2025, shows a staggering £725,116.47 allegedly spent on chasing debts — working out at around £126.48 per liability order.

A Bureaucratic Money-Spinner

Its claimed Hartlepool Borough Council is deliberately inflating costs by adding in meaningless charges

Hartlepool Borough Council wants locals to believe that chasing unpaid council tax eats up almost £400,000 in staff wages. The document claims, multiple full-time employees spend 95% of their time printing letters and sending reminders, where it seems the higher the wage bill they scribble down, the more they can justify slapping bigger “costs” onto people already struggling.

Hidden Extras & Claims of "Double Charging"

On top of that, the document reveals Hartlepool Borough Council is padding the 'costs' they claim are incurred with vague catch-alls:

• £159,188 on IT

• £105,712 on “central recharges”

• £22,762 for “accommodation”

  
  

These aren’t direct costs of issuing a summons — they’re overheads councils already pay for. Charging residents again is nothing short of double-dipping.

The Reality is Pennies, Not Pounds

The document which was sent to us by a member of the public shows the council are even charging locals for 'accommodation'...

The actual costs are broken down as follows:

• Postage: £30,921

• Envelopes: £857

• Printing/packing: £1,596

• Court fee: 50p per summons (£5,392 total)

  
  

That’s it. A fraction of the £725k headline. Yet residents are being hammered with a £126 bill every time a Council Tax liability order is granted.

Kicking People While They’re Down

Punitive Council Tax costs are said to be exacerbating the issues of Child Poverty in Hartlepool

This isn’t about covering costs — it’s about punishing the poor. Miss one payment and the council’s debt machine automatically cranks into gear, lumping another £126 onto your debt. For households already in crisis, that’s enough to push them over the edge. Meanwhile, the council quietly turns residents’ hardship into a steady income stream.

Kangaroo Courts, such as the one being operated on Teesside are said to be waving these charges through seemingly on trust, but this document kindly handed to us by a concerned member of the public proves it’s time for a major investigation into Hartlepool Borough Councils debt collection practices. Hartlepool Borough Council is literally using financial hardship as a profit making venture.

Until there’s independent oversight, Hartlepool’s council tax enforcement will remain what it looks like a cynical money-making racket designed to punitively punish the towns poorest, whilst being dressed up as council administration.