The decision was taken at a meeting of East Renfrewshire Council’s (ERC) cabinet meeting by the most senior elected officials in the county.

The sum included housing rent that could not be recovered, court costs and housing benefit overpayments.

Two reports were submitted for consideration by councillors by Caroline Innes, ERC’s deputy chief executive.

The report on housing benefits explains how £122,110 was written off as irrecoverable by the council after every channel of recovery had been exhausted.

A second report stated that £362,541 has been lost through rent and court expenses.

The report said: “Housing benefit overpayments can occur when a benefit recipient fails to notify the council of a change of circumstances which affects the level of housing benefit they are due to receive.

“In most cases this is due to oversight but in a small number of cases the overpayment is the result of an attempt to defraud (the council).

“In higher value, more important cases of this type such action will lead to prosecution and in lower value cases to the addition of an administrative financial penalty.” However the report admits that in many cases the residents subject of the overpayments only have benefits as a source of income, and as a result just 40 per cent of the overpayments are collected within a year.

Statistics show that in 133 cases, the council has exhausted all means of recovery action, resulting in £44,269.36 being lost.

The second highest cause has been debtors passing away, with £24,480.46 in debts being permanently written off.

In the second report to be considered and approved by councillors, housing rent and court expenses totalling £362,541 was written off.

Councillors heard that the amount became irrecoverable after debtors passed away, leaving no estate, have moved into carehomes and are unable to settle the debt, or the council has been advised to write it off by sheriff officers in court.

Small balances of less than £20 were also struck off.

The report, also delivered by Ms Innes, read: “A comprehensive review of outstanding former tenant rent arrears has recently been undertaken to ensure that only debts with a reasonable chance of collection are passed to the housing service when it assumes responsibility for rent collection.” Around £14,662 was lost after 31 residents passed away, while 383 accounts were closed resulting in £346,341 being lost after every process was exhausted to recover them, including court action.

The report concluded: “In the current year around £4.1 million of rent net of benefit payments will be received from tenants and the sum recommended for write off represents around 8.8 per cent of this total and can be met from existing bad debt provisions.

“Last year the cabinet approved write-offs totalling £51,806.”