Release date: 11/05/2010
By: Charlie Masson Smith
Telephone
020 8871 6173
or email cmassons@wandsworth.gov.uk
Sign up to direct debit and win £25k
Singing star Suggs says that with a £25,000 cash prize on offer it would be "madness" not to sign up to a new council tax direct debit payment campaign.
People who sign up to pay their council tax by direct debit before July 15 will be entered into a £25,000 prize draw being offered by Bacs Payment Schemes Ltd (Bacs), the organisation responsible for direct debit.
Direct debit offers a safe, secure and convenient method of paying regular bills. It also reduces costs for councils - so the more people that sign up the bigger the savings are - and these can be used to help keep council tax bills in Wandsworth the country's lowest.
The public awareness campaign is being fronted by Madness singer Suggs. He was joined at the launch of the new initiative by the chairman of the council's corporate resources scrutiny committee Cllr Vanessa Graham, pictured above.
She said: "There are plenty of benefits for residents if they use the direct debit system to pay their council tax bills.
"As well as being safe and secure, it means that people will not have all the fuss and bother of having to remember to pay each month, and as long as there is enough money in their bank account, they should never miss a payment.
"Once they have signed up to pay this way they will never have to worry about it again.
"Using direct debit also reduces the costs that town halls incur in collecting this revenue – so the more people that sign up, the bigger the savings that can be made. These savings can be used to help keep down local council tax bills – so there is a direct financial benefit for taxpayers in using this system.
"And anyone who signs up before July 15 could be in with a chance of winning a £25,000 cash prize. Of course all our residents who have already opted for direct debit will be automatically entered into this prize draw so they won't miss out on the chance to win this fabulous prize."
People who want to sign up can use the council's fully automated 24 hour helpline by calling (020) 8871 7799. Alternatively visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/counciltax fill in a direct debit instruction form or contact your bank or building society.
Wandsworth council tax bills are the lowest in the country – a position that has been maintained consistently under different forms of local taxation for around the past 25 years.
The current Wandsworth average Band D bill of £687 compares to a London average this year of £1,309.
The highest bills in London will be paid by residents in neighbouring Kingston where the Band D average is £1,663.
Band D bills for other nearby boroughs include Lambeth at £1,235; Merton £1,416; Richmond £1,597; Kensington & Chelsea £1,092 and Hammersmith & Fulham £1,122.
ENDS
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