THE net is tightening on council tax debtors in Wirral.

The authority has hired a technology services company which can access people's records such as credit checks and other financial details not available to the council.

The firm - CapacityGrid - has been brought in for a crackdown on false "single person discount" claims.

The discount applies when only one adult lives in a property as their main home - the bill can be reduced by 25%.

A report to next week's meeting of the council cabinet says an exercise in underway in which CapciityGrid has checked 31,000 out of 55,640 discount awards in Wirral.

The review says 295 accounts have had their discount removed and the full charge brought back in.

The firm estimates that up to 6% - around 3,330 - of discounts will be cancelled and the full 100% tax re-instated.

They have contacted the relevant council tax payers on the town hall's behalf where "discrepancies" are found and are amending records on the basis of supplied information or failure to reply.

The borough's 2015/16 council tax collection estimate includes a £300,000 increase in receipts to reflect this exercise "which ensures Wirral council taxpayers are not subsiding falsely claimed discounts."

CapacityGrid says councils could be losing an estimated £90m per year to false Single Person Discount claims.

Its website states: "By reducing the fraud and error associated with council tax single person discounts, local authorities can make significant savings."

The company works under a ‘payment by results’ scheme - "so there’s no investment, no risk and we offer a guaranteed outcome."

The report, which will be studied by councillors next Thursday, says recovery of debt from householders not eligible for council tax support is continuing.

Repayment plans offering weekly or fortnightly installments have been offered to debtors who contact the council.

It says where possible, attempts to collect by attachment of earnings and benefits will be prioritised.

But it warns: "Inevitably in some cases this will not be possible and alternative methods including bailiffs will need to be utilised."