More people in Glasgow have not paid their council tax in the last year according to latest official figures.

While more than nine out of ten households paid their council tax, collection in the city has dropped to the lowest level in the last 10 years.

The latest total is for 2020/21 when the covid pandemic hit the economy hard and saw many people’s incomes reduced.

Many people were put on furlough on 80% of their wages and others lost their jobs and were put on universal credit and had to apply for council tax rebates.

Glasgow raises hundreds of millions of pounds in council tax each year to contribute to spending.

Scottish Government figures show the city had the second lowest collection rate in the country.

The statistics for 2020/21 show that Glasgow City Council collected 92.1% of all council tax due.

It is down from a high point of 95% collection in 2017/18 and in 2018/19.

Council tax accounts for around 20% of the council’s budget with most income coming from the Scottish Government grant.

For the current year the council’s spending is budgeted at around £1,674m.

The Scottish Government grants gives Glasgow £1,083m.

It gets £281m in non-domestic rates, business rates and council tax is worth £309m to the city.

The drop cost Glasgow City Council £4.2m in income, it has to try and recoup through debt recovery.

The council said it was expected with the economic impact of covid but stressed the importance of people paying their council tax.

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “To some extent, this fall was not unexpected - given the impact of the coronavirus emergency on employment and household incomes; but also on our ability to collect payments and recover arrears in the first stage of the pandemic.

READ MORE: Big rise in Glasgow council tax rebates since lockdown

“For example, it was necessary to delay recovery action for around six months from the start of the first lockdown - leaving much less time to collect what was due and work with those who found themselves in arrears.

“While this impact has been accounted for financially as part of managing last year’s budget, it is hugely important that people continue to pay or contact us early if they are having difficulties.”

Across Scotland there was also a drop in collection from 96% in 2017/18 and 2018/19 to 94.8% in the last year, also the lowest in a decade.