RESIDENTS owe the two councils in Dorset tens of millions of pounds in unpaid council tax. 

Of the £45m owed to the two main authorities, BCP Council is owed some £21.35m worth of council tax from 2021 and 2024. 

And Dorset Council is owed £26.68m, although a spokeswoman said that figure is £23.1m as of August 1. 

Across the entire county, there are more than 62,000 accounts identified as owing historic council tax dating back to 2021. 

BCP Council currently spends £309m each year on public services, but around two thirds of this money is spent on providing services for children and vulnerable adults. 

Cabinet member for finance and BCP Council’s deputy leader Mike Cox said: “Like all local authorities, our team work tirelessly throughout the year to collect unpaid council tax and we have various methods to do this. 

“The last few years have seen lockdowns and the current cost of living crisis, so it is inevitable that people across the country have been struggling to pay.  

“We start by encouraging any of our residents facing difficulties paying to contact us and discuss their situation, and to check whether they might be eligible for council tax support.” 

Dorset Council’s spokeswoman said: “We actively pursue arrears of council tax using the lawful tools available.  

“This includes reminders, final notices, court action, attachment of earnings/benefits and enforcement agents. For more details visit www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/non-payment-of-council-tax. 

“If you are struggling to pay council tax, details of discounts, exemptions, relief or council tax support can be found at www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/problems-paying-council-tax.” 

Council tax collection is monitored nationally by government for tax collected in each year.  

For 2023/24 the national average was 95.9 per cent and BCP achieved 96.3 per cent ‘collected in year’. But the authority’s overall collection expectation is ultimately to exceed 99 per cent. 

And Dorset Council’s collection rate is 96.23 per cent for the same year. 

Like many councils nationwide, both Dorset and BCP hiked up their council tax rates by 4.99 per cent amid rising running costs of services. 

All the figures were gathered via a Freedom of Information by Accident Claims Advice.