Pay an invoice NEW

1 Ways to pay an invoice

You can pay an invoice from West Sussex County Council (WSCC) by:

• credit or debit card
• Direct Debit
• bank transfer
• cheque 

You can also pay by going to a bank - complete the tear-off remittance at the bottom of the invoice and take it to your bank, together with your payment.

2 Paying by credit or debit card

You will need:

• your invoice number
• your customer reference number
• your email address
• your card details

Allow at least one full working day after making your payment for your records to be updated. Remember if you pay by credit card and you cannot repay your outstanding balance in full you may incur interest.

Payment cards

We accept all major credit or debit cards including:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• Electron
• Maestro
• JCB

Once the payment is authorised a receipt will be sent to your email address. This will include a payment reference that you will need to quote it if there is a problem with your payment.

Paying by phone

You can make a debit or credit card payment by calling 01243 777505 between 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.

3 Paying by Direct Debits

A Direct Debit is an instruction from you to your bank or building society allowing an organisation to collect future payments from your account. There is no extra charge to you when paying by Direct Debit.

You can set up a payment when it is for:

• adult social care
• instalment plans for adult social care
• school and college transport

Direct Debits can only be set up from a UK bank account and by the account holder. You need to make sure you have enough funds in your account when the payment is due.

You will need the following:

• your name and address
• bank or building society account number
• the sort code of your bank or building society
• the name(s) on the account
• your customer number

Your invoice will notify you of the collection date for your Direct Debit. Please allow at least 10 working days before the first collection date.

Set up a Direct Debit online

The fastest and easiest way to set up a Direct Debit is online. Email us at directdebit@westsussex.gov.uk  quoting your customer number and we will send you an online form to complete. 

Set up a Direct Debit by phone

If you would prefer to set up a Direct Debit by phone, request a paper form or need assistance filling out the online form, you can phone us on 033 022 24455.

4 Paying by bank transfer

The following bank details should be used when making a bank transfer:

• account name: West Sussex County Council County Fund
• bank: Lloyds Bank PLC
• sort code: 30-00-02
• account number: 00196601

The reference for payment should be your 6-digit customer number followed by the 10-digit invoice number, separated by a forward slash, for example 209000/8002345678.

5 Paying by cheque

We do not encourage payment by cheque and would prefer one of the other payment methods. 

If you need to pay by cheque, send your cheque together with the tear off slip at the bottom of the invoice to:

West Sussex County Council
Income Team
County Hall
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 1RG

6 Unable to make payment

If you are unable to make payment to WSCC, you should pay what you can. However, be aware that if payment for the full amount is not made you will automatically be placed into our debt recovery process. This means that from the following month you will start receiving reminder letters.

Our team is dedicated to helping you with your finances and to improve your financial resilience. We will work with you to understand your individual circumstances and then create a personalised plan that’s right for you.

Contact us to discuss problems paying or paying in arrears

Adult Social Care:                                     

• phone: 033 022 25004
• email: debt.recovery@westsussex.gov.uk

Estate of an Adult Social Care:          

• phone: 033 022 23222
• email: eol.debt.recovery@westsussex.gov.uk

All other services:                             

• phone: 033 022 23030
• email: sundry.debt@westsussex.gov.uk

7 Having problems paying

If your payment is declined this means it has been refused by your bank. West Sussex County Council will not know the reason for this, so you will need to contact your bank.

If you have a query with your invoice, contact the income team and include the following:

• your name
• contact details
• invoice number

If the details on your invoice are not correct, you can request a change of details form by using the email above.