PEOPLE seeking help over council tax from Citizens Advice Scotland owed £6.9 million to local authorities last year, new figures show.

The organisation helped 2250 people with the issue in 2019, with an average debt of £3102.46 each – almost three times the average council tax bill of £1147.

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is now launching a two-week Council Tax: Check To Save campaign which urges people to check if they are entitled to exemptions, reductions and discounts, and highlights the support the CAS network can offer.

The number of people claiming Council Tax Reduction (CTR) has fallen by more than 80,000 since the new system was introduced in 2013, CAS said.

Glasgow City Council approved a 4.64% rise in bills last month.

CAS financial health spokesman Myles Fitt said: “Over recent years, council tax debt has grown to be the number one debt issue that people bring to Citizens Advice Bureaux.

“People coming to us for help last year owed a total of £6.9m to their local authorities.

“That works out to around £3000 per person on average, three times the average council tax bill in Scotland.

“Across the country, most councils are set to increase council tax rates.

“We think local authorities should be doing everything they can to ensure more people access these savings to help those least able to pay higher council tax bills.

“We know that more than 80,000 fewer people in Scotland are claiming council tax reduction than when the system was introduced, and we fear that lots of families are missing out on savings they are entitled to.”