Revenues and Benefits

General Income Section

Frequently asked questions

What is this invoice for?

If you contact the General Income section they will provide as much information as possible about the reason for the invoice. If you require further information, we will refer you back to the department that provided the original service.

What period of time does the invoice cover?

Staff from the General Income section will check our computerised records to obtain information about the period of time the invoice covers. However, should you require more detailed information your query will be transferred on to the department that provided the original service.

I have received an invoice. Can I pay it off by instalments?

Invoices are payable within 28 days from the date of invoice. However, dependent on the type of debt, instalments can be made available in most cases.

Can I pay by credit or debit card?

Yes we accept all major credit/debit cards.

Can I set up a Direct Debit?

Unfortunately at present we do not have Direct Debit facilities, but hope to have them soon. We do offer a Standing Order facility.

I have received an invoice and I disagree with the amount to pay. How can I dispute the invoice?

Any dispute needs to be put in writing, either to the Income Section, or to the department that provided the original service.

You have sent me a reminder letter which indicates that I have not yet paid an invoice that was sent to me, but I have paid this?

If you contact the General Income section they will confirm if the payment has been received. If it has not been received, you may be asked to provide details of the payment so that the payment can be traced.

Your reminder letter is very strongly worded. Why?

All reminder letters are computer generated and are not intended to be offensive. They are produced as a necessary reminder to prompt our customers to pay, so that further recovery action can be avoided.

Can I order a statement showing all of my payments?

Yes. If you contact the General Income section, they can print out a statement and post it out to you on the same day.

I have received a reminder but did not receive the original invoice. Can I be sent the invoice again?

Yes. If you contact the General Income section, they can arrange for a copy invoice to be sent. It will be identical to the original invoice except that it will have the word 'Copy' written across it. This can be ordered and posted out to you on the following day.

I have received a refund, what is it for?

If you contact the General Income section, they can refer to our computerised records and provide this information to you.

I wish to change the billing address for my invoices. How can I do this?

If you contact the General Income section, they will ask you to send your request in writing. Once a letter has been received and verified as authentic, the changes to the billing address will be carried out.

I have received an invoice which indicates that I have to pay within 28 days. Can I have an extension on the requested payment date?

The General Income section will always try to accommodate customers who have gone to the trouble of making contact, if they have payment difficulties. In most cases a delay in payment will be allowable, for between 2-4 weeks.

I have not paid my invoice and have now received a County Court Summons / Claim Form, from the County Court. What do I do?

You will need to pay the whole amount showing as due, immediately. If you contact the General Income section, they can advise you of the different ways that you can pay.

If you disagree with the amount due, or have reason to believe that you do not owe the amount shown, you can contact the County Court to File a Defence. You can File a Defence by completing the relevant section of the Claim Form and returning it to the County Court, as soon as possible.

Why am I being charged court costs?

Recovering any debt via court action is expensive for the court and for the council. The procedures used by courts in the United Kingdom, allow the council to recover any additional expenses incurred by claiming court costs against you or any other person, who has to have their debt recovered via court action.

I have a county court judgement due to an unpaid invoice. How do I get it removed?

To get a county court judgement removed, you will need to pay the outstanding amount off in full (including any court costs). Once the payment is received, the General Income section will arrange for a letter of satisfaction to be sent out to you.

They will also arrange for a copy to be sent to the court, who will arrange for the information held about your county court judgement, to be altered to show that the debt has been paid off, or satisfied.

I have received an invoice and I am not sure that I can afford to pay it off. Can you help me?

If you contact the General Income section, they will arrange for a Means Test to be carried out to establish your financial position. Once this has been done, a decision will be taken on what the repayments should be, or what other course of action should be taken.

Can I come in to see you to discuss my account?

Yes. The General Income section welcomes all customers and will help wherever possible.

I have received an invoice. What will happen if I don't pay?

The General Income section will take action against customers who fail to pay their invoices on time and do not make contact to explain any delay in payment. Up to 3 reminders will be sent out. If payment is still not made, then further legal action will follow. This could lead to the following:

A County Court Judgement (this will effect your ability to get credit)
A warrant of execution (your goods will be forcibly removed by court appointed bailiffs and sold to pay off your debts)
A charging order (this will be used if you own your property)
Bankruptcy (all of your assets, houses and cars could be sold to pay of your debts and your ability to obtain credit will become almost non-existent)