ONE taxpayer in Rossendale managed to walk away with more than £23,000 in housing benefit overpayments, councillors have been told.

The unidentified householder in Newchurch got away with the sum of £23,347 between January 2009 and October 2016.

But cabinet members have heard that because the resident died in 2018, the debt will now be written off.

Another £5,719 must also be written off for an unpaid council tax bill, also in Newchurch, between 2009/10 and 2016/17, though it remains unclear whether this relates to the same case.

A second housing benefit overpayment case, for a Waterfoot resident, totalling £16,858, is set to be similarly dealt with, after the case was returned by council bailiffs.

Ian Walker, the council's finance head, said in a report: "The sum of £5,719 is regarded as irrecoverable in respect of council tax.

"It relates to an individual who is now deceased and who had no assets. The write-off amount is the total unpaid tax.

"Due to the split between precepts, Rossendale will bear approximately 15 per cent of this sum directly.

"The sum of £40,206 is regarded as irrecoverable in respect of housing benefit overpayment. Overpayments which are recoverable attract 40 per cent benefit subsidy. In this case Rossendale will bear 60 per cent of the cost directly."

Council cabinet members, when they meet on Tuesday, will also be asked to write-off three non-domestic rate bills, which have been deemed unrecoverable.

These total £24,329 and relate to Eco-Green Power, Kanes Gym and Green Deal Service Provider, three dissolved firms.