However, while the overall picture remains stark, there are signs of stability for housing officers as collection rates remain high.

Whitburn and Blackburn were among the highest wards, where arrears debt is over £1m, but this is down on the same position in January last year.

Phyllis Mcfadden, a housing manager, told councillors at the ward’s local area committee: “For the Whitburn ward the collection rate for the year to date in Quarter 2 [July to September] remains excellent at 92.1%. Whitburn has collected £6,503,876 in income against a charge of £7,061,194.

“West Lothian overall arrears position is currently £5,049,822. Of this, the arrears for Whitburn in Quarter 2 is £1,023,255. This is a decrease of £8,882 on last year.”

The collection rate across all nine wards from Broxburn in the east to Blackridge in the west, is over 90% each quarter.

Housing officers stay in close contact with tenants, offering advice and informing them of services such as the Advice Shop which can help with household budgets. Low debt cases, which are managed through early intervention by housing officers, have increased by 22 since last year. These cases, amounting to debts of £500 or less, account for 61% of households and 17% of the debt.

The number of high debt cases, which are managed through early intervention by housing officers, have risen by eight since last year. These cases, with debts of £2,250 or more, account for 7% of households and 37% of the debt. Of the households in arrears, 58% are not receiving Universal Credit and 41% are. The number of households in arrears who do not receive UC has dropped by 41. The number who do fell by 26.

Ms Mcfadden revealed that the numbers being forced into debt by Universal Credit had slowed as the new benefits system became more familiar and manageable to tenants, the Herald reports.

Councillors heard that there were two evictions during the second quarter with a total value of £10,043, making the average eviction value £5,022.

Sequestration, or bankruptcy, is also an option. There were five sequestrations in Whitburn in the second quarter of 2025-26 with a total value of £10,571, making the average sequestration value £2,114.