Case Study: Hartlepool Borough Council (Aryza Engage)
Hartlepool Borough Council delivers a wide range of public services across the borough, including Council Tax collection and Benefits administration. With budgets under pressure and demand on frontline services continuing to rise, the Council looked for a faster, more scalable approach to customer contact.
Following a successful pilot, Hartlepool Borough Council selected Aryza Engage to modernise its Council Tax recovery operation.
Situation
Budget cuts and rising recovery volumes were placing increased pressure on the Council Tax Recovery Team. Focussed on improving in-year collections, resource limitations meant chasing historic debt was becoming increasingly problematic due to highly administrative effort involved.
The Council needed a more responsive approach that could improve collection rates, reduce administrative pressures and enable Council Tax customers to access automated advice and support.
Task
The Council set out to modernise its recovery communication strategy through automation and digital engagement.
The goal was to automate routine contact, improve collection rates and encourage residents to respond earlier in the recovery process.
Action
Aryza Engage introduced AI-powered agents to help the Council manage high-volume Council Tax recovery contact, issue payment reminders and prompt early engagement.
Using SMS communication channels – with RCS capabilities planned as part of the Council’s future engagement strategy – Aryza Engage enabled faster, conversational interactions with Council Tax customers.
Working alongside Aryza specialists, the Council Tax Recovery Team used weekly sessions to test, refine and improve communication journeys throughout the rollout.
‘The support we received during onboarding was excellent,” said Lisa Graham, Principal Recovery Officer at Hartlepool Borough Council. Weekly sessions with Aryza’s specialists helped the Council Tax Recovery Team refine communication journeys, test new approaches and adapt workflows as operational understanding developed.”
Conversational AI has helped the Council to streamline the collection process and reduce the need for manual interventions.
The solution enabled the Council to:
- Deliver recovery communications in real time
- Provide digital guidance and support
- Prompt early payment
- Reduce operational costs through automation and reduced outbound paper-based communications
The Council adopted automated contact methods to create a more scalable recovery model and free up staffing resources to focus on more complex cases.
The pilot ran from October 2025 to February 2026. Its success led to a long-term partnership with Aryza in March 2026.
Result
Aryza Engage helped Hartlepool Borough Council streamline its Council Tax recovery operation by reducing manual communication and administrative workload.
High response rates and real-time customer engagement enabled the Council to recover revenue faster, deliver early interventions that reduce the need for escalation.
Automation has also reduced printing and postage costs, creating an immediate return on investment for the Council.
Following the success of the pilot, Aryza Engage has become a long-term component of the Council’s recovery and digital transformation strategy.
Customer Feedback
“Incorporating AI-driven Agents into everyday Council Tax processes has enabled Hartlepool Borough Council to automate customer contact, deliver key messages and engage with a wider audience. Embracing automation has enabled the Council to boost efficiency through more effective resource allocation.”
Lisa Graham, Principal Recovery Officer, Hartlepool Borough Council