Eleven councils are celebrating as winners of the 2006 Bacs Local Authority Direct Debit Challenge were announced during a champagne reception at the Institute of Revenues, Rating & Valuation (IRRV) annual conference in Brighton last week.

Organised by Bacs, the company behind Direct Debit and Bacs Direct Credit, local councils were rewarded for tackling council tax collection rates and converting local residents to regular, automated payments using Direct Debit.

Since the Bacs Local Authority Direct Debit Challenge awards first started they have gained a credible reputation, and are now widely recognised in the industry as an established benchmark for best practice.

Mike Chambers, Managing Director of Bacs, said: "A recent Audit Commission report revealed that local authorities could save up to £15 million pounds per annum by increasing Direct Debit uptake. Drawing on our considerable resources we can provide advice and guidance to councils wanting to convert more residents to automated payments. We can offer particular guidance to those working to help the financially excluded and low income households, and commend the efforts being made today. We are delighted with the innovation and hard work demonstrated by this year's entrants, as well as the sheer volume of applications we received."

Entries were judged on a council's ability to demonstrate tangible improvements, in terms of efficiency, customer satisfaction and increased volume of Direct Debits. There were three categories: