Council launches investigation into early payments

Norwich City Council is based at City Hall

A city council has apologised to taxpayers and pledged to reimburse those who have incurred extra costs after it took direct debit payments early.

Norwich City Council, which provides services to about 144,000 people, says it is investigating as a "matter of urgency".

An email has offered "sincere apologies" after the monthly direct debit payments for council tax and business rates were taken on Friday 29 August, rather than Monday 1 September.

"We are sorry if this has caused any inconvenience or if this has had a financial impact on you or your business," said a spokesperson.

"We are looking into how this happened so it can be avoided in the future."

The explanation goes on to state that the council would not attempt to take another direct debit payment on 1 September.

It adds: "If you have incurred any additional charges or fees from your bank, as a result of this, we will reimburse you."

The details required to make a compensation claim are laid out, including a copy of a bank statement or a bank letter that clearly show the fees that have been incurred.

Sent on behalf of the council's revenue and benefits team, it concludes: "Once again, we offer our sincere apologies for this error and thank you for your understanding and patience."

A message on Norwich City Council's website says the authority is investigating as a matter of urgency

The authority's council tax bands for 2025-26 range from £1,549 per year for band A properties to £4,783 for those in band H.

Business rates are charged on non-domestic properties and are based on the rateable value, which is an estimate of its open market rental value, as set by the Valuation Office Agency.

The BBC has asked Norwich City Council how the reimbursements will be funded.