Rent collection in both wards, as revealed to local area committees last week, remains excellent at above 99%. However, the number of small debt cases in Livingston South – owing £300 or less accounts for 51% of households.

There are 80 serious arrears cases (£1000-plus in arrears). These cases are 19.3% of all households in arrears in this area, containing 66.5%of the debt.

The arrears position for Livingston South in the last quarter of the year was £280,062. This is an increase of £21,569 on last year’s position.

In the Armadale and Blackridge ward, the numbers show small debt cases (£300 or less), account for 54.4% of households, The West Lothian Courier reports.

There are 82 serious arrears cases (£1000-plus in arrears). These cases are 16.3% of all households in arrears in this area, containing 57.5% of the debt.

The arrears position for Armadale and Blackridge was £268,774. This is an increase of £11,737 on last year’s position. West Lothian-wide the arrears level is £2,978,530.

In her report to the Armadale and Blackridge Committee, Lorraine Donnelly, local housing manager, said: “The overall increased arrears in comparison to last year are as a result of Full-Service Universal Credit being introduced in West Lothian from May 2018, along with other Welfare Benefit reforms and the current economic climate.

“In the same week last year Armadale and Blackridge ward had 298 Universal Credit (UC) households. Since then the number of UC households has decreased by 10.1%.”