East Lothian Council is pursuing in excess of £860,000 in unpaid council tax from people identified as council employees, according to figures released following a Freedom of Information request.
Scale and scope of arrears
The dataset covers outstanding sums attributed to staff going back over the last decade. The council says the total reflects amounts owing by people recorded as employees at the time the report was compiled, and that some arrears may have accrued before an individual joined the authority.
- Total arrears (employees, last 10 years): £860,000 (approx)
- Amount from ‘last year’ as reported: £189,661
- Amount outstanding from 2024/25: £150,587
- Amount outstanding from 2023/24: £122,054
Wider council finances and write-offs
The figures come at a time when the local authority remains the largest employer in the county, with about 4,500 staff on its payroll. Council tax income forms a significant element of the authority’s funding: overall council tax arrears for the 2025/26 financial year from all residents stand at £4,491,747.46, and the council faced a reported budget gap of £2.7 million at the start of the current financial year when it increased council tax by 7.5%.
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Employee arrears (10 years) | £860,000 |
| All-resident arrears (2025/26) | £4,491,747.46 |
| Write-offs over 10 years | £99,000 |
| Employee write-offs last year | £15,675 |
| Other residents write-offs last year | £402,000+ |
Recovery procedures and support
East Lothian Council says collection activity is ongoing and that the daily position can change as payments are received or recovery action proceeds. The authority described its approach to staff arrears as no different to that taken with any other resident.
“Council employees are treated in the same way as any other East Lothian resident and subject to the same recovery procedures.”
The council explained that when payments are not made it issues reminders, final notices and summary warrant notices and points debtors towards the same financial support and welfare advice available to other residents.
What this means locally
For East Lothian residents the figures underline two connected issues: the challenge the council faces in collecting a significant portion of its income and the pressure on budgets that rely on council tax receipts. The authority has already applied a council tax rise this year and continues work to recover historic debts while approving write-offs where there is no realistic prospect of repayment.
Further updates on recovery activity and any changes to the sums outstanding will depend on ongoing collection efforts and any future reporting the council publishes.
