Rochdale Council breached the human rights of a vulnerable tenant and engaged in discrimination by ceasing his council tax direct debit without issuing a notification letter or notifying him of his increasing debt.
Because of his limited mental capacity to carry out daily activities, the tenant was given help in handling his finances. Despite being assisted in arranging a direct debit with Rochdale council for his council tax payments, the tenant ended up with a debt of £381 due to the absence of any notifications or reminders.
The tenant was only informed through a magistrates court summons received by mail, indicating that the full owed amount must be settled before the hearing date unless he intends to challenge the allegations made against him.
He called the number provided in the letter to inform that he would challenge the claim, asserting that he was not responsible for the debt and highlighting a direct debit on the account. On the day of the hearing, the tenant had a phone meeting with the magistrates during which he detailed the situation to the court's "legal advisor." The advisor mentioned that the judge would focus on determining if the debt was valid and if the tenant was obligated to pay, considering only two aspects of the claim.
The magistrates court disregarded the tenant's Autism condition and refused to hear his defense, despite his lack of legal representation. The tenant was not provided with the documents used against him, and the court ruled him liable to pay £381 either in full or through installment payments.
The tenant was disappointed by both the Magistrates court system and Rochdale Council, alleging discrimination and violation of his human rights due to not being given a fair trial to defend his case.
Comentarios