Recovering much-needed revenue 

Rochdale’s busy income officers manage a high caseload, making it hard to find the time to tackle complex cases. Having delivered several successful reviews covering Council Tax discounts and Business Rates relief, the council asked us to help them tackle long-term arrears.  

Peter Moss is the council’s Head of Revenues, Benefits & Finance:

“We’ve worked with NEC on a number of projects that help us to maximise our revenue. Their work has always been of a high quality and delivers a good return on investment, which is why we asked for their help to recover some long-term debt.”

Covering Council Tax and Business Rates 

Rochdale shared with us 2,500 cases of long-term debt stemming from missed Council Tax or Business Rates payments. Our recovery officers attempted to make contact with each customer, reminding them of the debt, encouraging payment and also offering to help set up sustainable payment arrangements.  

At the end of our three-month service, Rochdale is on track to recover revenue worth six times the cost of the service through a mix of immediate payments and special payment arrangements. 

Essential soft skills  

Our recovery officers have the experience and the soft skills required to engage customers who may be facing difficult circumstances. Through a calm, friendly approach, they were able to secure both instant payments and longer-term payment plans. And by managing all the administration in the council’s own systems, they were able to keep this additional admin away from Rochdale’s busy team.