Lewisham Council refuses to reveal how much overpaid council tax it owes residents
By Grainne Cuffe, local democracy reporter
Lewisham Council has refused to reveal how much overpaid council tax it owes residents, claiming doing do would stop it enforcing the law.
Despite multiple London councils handing over the figures through Freedom of Information requests.
It comes just two and half months after Lewisham agreed and endorsed the final report on its local democracy review, intended to make it more accessible and transparent.
Overpaid council tax refers to money owed to residents by a council.
The money is stored by the authority after a resident in the borough has paid too much council tax.
The overpayment could happen for several reasons, such as after someone moves elsewhere but has paid ahead of time or gets a retrospective council tax discount on a property.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has been investigating how much councils owe their residents through Freedom of Information powers.
Lambeth Council revealed it is sitting on a pot of £6 million, while Southwark owed less than £1 million.
But Lewisham Council refused to share the figures.
According to its response it said the information should be “exempt” from the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because revealing the details would get in the way of it enforcing the law.
The council sited Section 31 of the Act, ‘Law enforcement’, when refusing the request.
The council would not comment on why it had declined to provide the details, but the section states, among other things, that information likely to prejudice the “assessment or collection of any tax or duty or of any imposition of a similar nature” should be exempt from disclosure.
Other exempt information under the same section includes that which would get in the way of catching criminals and preventing crime.
The council has declined to comment on why it refused to give out the information, particularly in light of many other councils doing so.
A council spokesman said: “We have received your appeal, the FOI team are reviewing it and will respond directly.”
Everyone at the South London Press thanks you for your continued support.
Former Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has encouraged everyone in the country who can afford to do so to buy a newspaper, and told the Downing Street press briefing:
“A FREE COUNTRY NEEDS A FREE PRESS, AND THE NEWSPAPERS OF OUR COUNTRY ARE UNDER SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL PRESSURE”
If you can afford to do so, we would be so grateful if you can make a donation which will allow us to continue to bring stories to you, both in print and online. Or please make cheques payable to “MSI Media Limited” and send by post to South London Press, Unit 112, 160 Bromley Road, Catford, London SE6 2NZ
You cannot contact the council at all via internet – says “can’t find server” and the website says it is closed!