Salford council launches anti poverty strategy

20th February 2017

Salford city council has launched an ‘anti-poverty strategy’ which will ‘robustly review’ the Council’s debt collection practices. Salford Mayor, Paul Dennett has launched the initiative.

Dennet said “We want our work to become a beacon of best practice in the fight against poverty.” The strategy promises a review of the Council’s debt collection. “Our collective debt collection practices (including the use of external enforcement agencies) are robustly reviewed, so that they are undertaken in as sensitive a manner as possible, and in a way that does not create further hardship, distress or financial difficulties for vulnerable people.”

Salford City UNISON, which represents front line council workers dealing with debt face-to-face every day, sent a response to the strategy to the Mayor “Council Tax collection rates are low in the city” the union stated “In our view the emphasis needs to move away from further indebting those that cannot pay to ensuring those that can pay, pay promptly.”

Salford’s full anti-poverty strategy document can be viewed here.