West Midlands councils owe suppliers £7.1m in overdue invoices
Four West Midlands councils had 937 overdue supplier invoices worth more than £7.1m at the end of July, according to Freedom of Information research by Witan Solicitors.
Warwickshire County Council, Herefordshire Council, Staffordshire County Council and Telford & Wrekin Council reported a combined £7,143,152 in overdue invoices as of 31 July 2026, with 208 of the 937 outstanding invoices overdue for more than 90 days.
Warwickshire County Council accounted for the largest share, with 587 overdue invoices worth £5.25m. Herefordshire Council reported a further 279 invoices worth £1.66m, including 164 overdue for more than 90 days.
The research also found wide variation in how quickly councils paid suppliers during 2025/26. Shropshire Council paid 79.48% of invoices within 30 days, while Stoke-on-Trent City Council paid 84.2% and North Warwickshire Borough Council paid 99.11% within the same period.
Qarrar Somji, solicitor-advocate and director of Witan Solicitors, said late payments can put pressure on already tight council budgets through added interest and compensation costs, and can hit smaller suppliers hard where a delayed invoice represents wages, materials or subcontractor costs.
He added that businesses can reduce the risk of disputes by keeping payment terms clear and raising late payments promptly in writing, treating court action as a last resort.
Under the Procurement Act 2023, most public contracts require councils to pay valid, undisputed invoices within 30 days.
