RESIDNTS in Thurrock owe £2.8million in unpaid council tax, it has been revealed.

Following the figures, a national debt charity has warned that many residents are not receiving the free advice they need to deal with council tax and other debts.

National Debtline, the free advice service run by the Money Advice Trust, said the fact that so much council tax debt is still outstanding is a further sign that more residents would benefit from help in tackling their financial problems.

Joanna Elson OBE, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline, said: “The level of unpaid council tax in Thurrock remains a concern.  With people in the area now paying 3.81% more in council tax than they were this time last year, there is a risk that residents who are already behind will find it even more difficult to resolve their financial difficulty.

“Council tax is vital in funding the essential local services that we all rely on, and local authorities are already under significant financial pressure – so it is in everyone’s interests that arrears are repaid.

“We would urge all councils to do everything they can to ensure that residents in difficulty are signposted to free advice that will help them get back on track.”

The newly-released figures, from the Department for Communities and Local Government, show that residents in the Thurrock local authority area owed £2.8 million in unpaid council tax bills at 31 March 2016, an increase from £2.1 million for the previous year.

National Debtline receives around 240 calls each year from residents in Thurrock seeking advice on how to resolve their debt problems, and expects that this number could increase– with higher council tax bills adding to the pressure for many households who already have stretched budgets.

National Debtline offers free, independent and confidential advice 24 hours a day online at www.nationaldebtline.org and on 0808 808 4000, Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm, Saturday 9.30am to 1pm.