MP slams 'draconian' debt threat
A council has been accused of intimidation after debt collectors
threatened a pensioner with legal action over a bill for £17.50.
The partially-sighted 80-year-old, Joan Still, from Aberdeen had
disputed the cost of a personal alarm she had already returned to the
authority.
The case was raised by Aberdeen South Labour MP Anne Begg who said
vulnerable people were being threatened.
The city council said it was discussing the matter with the debt
collectors.
Mrs Still contacted her MP after a phone call from the council's debt
collection agency, Scott and Co.
“ Receiving threatening letters and phone calls from debt collectors
would be very distressing for anybody ”
Anne Begg
MP for Aberdeen South
She was in dispute with the authority about whether the bill should be
paid, and had written two letters querying the cost. In another
incident, a young man staying at the Royal Cornhill Hospital received
letters demanding more than £600 for his care. His mother was also
disputing the bills with the council.
Miss Begg said she was concerned that cases were turned over to the debt
collection agency without checks to see if the matter was in dispute or
if there were extenuating circumstances.
"For the council to set debt collectors on a partially-sighted 80-year-
old for the paltry sum of £17.50, despite the fact that I was in the
middle of corresponding with them about whether she should be paying at
all, strikes me as draconian," she said.
"Receiving threatening letters and phone calls from debt collectors
would be very distressing for anybody, never mind for some of the most
vulnerable people in our society."
A spokesman for Aberdeen City Council said: "Procedures are in place to
make sure those who owe money to the public purse are treated properly
and fairly.
"We will be discussing with the company the cases raised by Anne Begg."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.
Published: 2009/03/02 00:03:19 GMT
Monday, 2 March 2009
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