The council sent notices to him “a few weeks” before Christmas, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, with the man challenging the decision.
In 2024, the council wrote off the balances for 2020/21 and 2021/22 but said the arrears for more recent years were still payable.
It told him he could complain again, but did not inform him of his right to appeal to a tribunal – a move it later accepted as wrong.
During the process, the man agreed to pay a sum in early 2024.
The report states: “The council apologised for the distress and frustration caused by the notices and difficulties contacting it about the matter.
“Given the impact the matter had on [his] ability to enjoy the Christmas holidays, my view is that an apology is not a sufficient remedy on its own.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(471x244:473x246)/CNN-New-Years-Eve-with-Anderson-Cooper-123124-9952e5f00fc1425f87113ba2bfb97b29.jpg "Anderson Cooper Says He Once ‘Hated’ New Year’s Eve While Co-Hosting CNN Broadcast")
