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£800m in unpaid London council bills

21 April 2013 Last updated at 17:26 BST

Local authorities in London have failed to collect £800m in unpaid taxes, parking fines, business rates and rent over the past 20 years, BBC London has learned.

But some fear with the new benefit reforms, the situation could get worse.

BBC London's Tim Donovan spoke to MP Brandon Lewis, the parliamentary under secretary of state for communities and local government, and Simon Parker from the New Local Government Network.

He also spoke to Tony Travers from the London School of Economics and Joanna Elson, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust.