City chased OAP for £3 she had already paid

A PENSIONER has told how she was threatened with court action over a council tax demand for £2.79 - which she had already paid.

Isobel Beveridge, 83, contacted the Evening News after reading about William Falconer, who had received a demand for 22.58 despite paying his bill in full.

Just like Mr Falconer, she had paid her council tax at the post office just before April 1, the start of the new financial year, and the sum was wrongly paid into last year's account.

The mistake triggered an automatic letter demanding payment and informing her that sheriff officers would be involved if they didn't comply.

Mrs Beveridge, a retired postal officer from Drumbrae, said she had paid 171.79 by cheque at the post office.

"My statement came back and it was cashed on April 1 but they said that, because on their records I'd paid it on 29th March, it was paid into last year's account. They're blaming the computer. Surely to goodness the computer should be programmed so that when you've paid all the year's tax it stops accepting money into that account?

"I received a demand for 2.79 so why did the computer only accept the 169? It just doesn't make sense."

Mrs Beveridge said she had received a letter that she described as "a poor example of an apology" after complaining about the demand, and was concerned that the council was trying to use the errors to push people into paying by direct debit.

A council spokeswoman said that Mrs Beveridge's initial payment had been mistakenly put into last year's account. When she then tried to pay the second, smaller, instalment of the year it was assumed she was trying to pay the first sum, and was 2.79 short.

Mrs Beveridge's 89-year-old neighbour, who did not want to be named, said she had also received a demand for her full first annual payment of 145.32, despite having already paid it. "I got the letter on Saturday morning. It had been eight days coming - it was second class - and it said a sheriff would be with me in 14 days, which would have been the Friday," the neighbour said. "Look at all the expense they're going to to send these out to all these people who don't own them any money at all."

Bus driver George Docherty, 43, from Viewforth, also received a demand, despite paying his council tax in cash at the post office on March 30. Mr Docherty went to the City Chambers to ask for an explanation from customer service staff.

"He went on the computer and he came up with his excuses that because I'd paid before April 1 the post office couldn't allocate it to this year's account," said Mr Docherty

"He said 'We need to get your permission to transfer it from the previous year's account to this year's account. I said 'Have you any idea how ridiculous that sounds?'"Finance convener Councillor Phil Wheeler said the council had apologised and added: "We are working to improve this process to try to avoid any cases of this next year. It's important, however, that we make collection of council tax a priority as those not paying are having a direct impact on the vital services we provide for the city."