Union says uncollected £800 million could plug council pension gap

A union has slammed local authorities for failing to collect
over £800m a year from residents, saying the money could be
used to solve the council pension fund problem, writes
Mithran Samuel.

GMB claimed that £836m was lost in 2003-4 in uncollected
council tax and housing rents, compared to an estimated annual
pension deficit of £200m.
 
GMB, Unison and the TGWU, the three main council unions, have been
united in opposition to government plans, backed by local
authorities, to increase pension contributions and limit benefits
for members.
 
GMB’s senior public services organiser Justin Bowden said:
“If councils could collect the monies that they are owed they
could easily fix the pension gap problem.”
 
The figures are available from www.gmb.org.uk.