Retention periods of documents held within Wyre Forest District Council

2. Resources

Last updated March 2025

2.1 Financial Regulations
2.2 Insurance records
2.3 Accountancy and Finance
2.4 Bank related records
2.5 Miscellaneous records

2.1. Financial regulations

Reference	Function description/type of record	Retention action/retention period	Examples of records	Notes
2.1.1	Creditors records	Six years plus current year	New creditor/creditor change records Creditor Bank account details BACS payment total summary reports Purchase Orders (held electronically on FMS) Credit notes (held electronically on FMS) and 1 year at WFH – 6 years at Green Street Creditor Invoices (held electronically on FMS) and 1 year at WFH – 6 years at Green Street Goods received notes (held electronically on FMS Supplier Paper copies of Goods received notes – kept for proof of delivery for year end Audit then destroyed) Petty cash float and imprest documentation Procurement card transactions details Evidence of contractors CIS or UTR status CIS returns NNDR Billing for WFDC properties	In accordance with HMRC/audit requirements. All held electronically
2.1.2	Income records	Six years plus current year	Cash receipting End of Day Banking Records e.g. paying-in-slips, PDQ (held as paper records) Collection and Deposit reconciliation books (C&D) (held electronically as spreadsheet) Correspondence - remittance advices/bank queries (held as paper records) New Debtor request forms (held electronically) Direct Debit mandates (held electronically) Receipt books and records of books issued (held as paper records) Sales records (held electronically) Bank invoices (including Acquiring Services) (held as paper records) G4S banking confirmation (held electronically)	In accordance with HMRC requirements. Paperwork held at Green Street, HUB, Kidderminster Town Hall and Bewdley TIC

Reference

Function description/type of record

Retention action/retention period

Examples of records

Notes

2.1.1

Creditors records

Six years plus current year

New creditor/creditor change records
Creditor Bank account details
BACS payment total summary reports
Purchase Orders (held electronically on FMS)
Credit notes (held electronically on FMS) and 1 year at WFH – 6 years at Green Street
Creditor Invoices (held electronically on FMS) and 1 year at WFH – 6 years at Green Street
Goods received notes (held electronically on FMS Supplier
Paper copies of Goods received notes – kept for proof of delivery for year end Audit then destroyed)
Petty cash float and imprest documentation
Procurement card transactions details
Evidence of contractors CIS or UTR status CIS returns
NNDR Billing for WFDC properties

In accordance with HMRC/audit requirements.

All held electronically

2.1.2

Income records

Six years plus current year

Cash receipting End of Day Banking Records e.g. paying-in-slips, PDQ (held as paper records)
Collection and Deposit reconciliation books (C&D) (held electronically as spreadsheet)
Correspondence - remittance advices/bank queries (held as paper records)
New Debtor request forms (held electronically)
Direct Debit mandates (held electronically)
Receipt books and records of books issued (held as paper records)
Sales records (held electronically)
Bank invoices (including Acquiring Services) (held as paper records)
G4S banking confirmation (held electronically)

In accordance with HMRC requirements.

Paperwork held at Green Street, HUB, Kidderminster Town Hall and Bewdley TIC

2.2. Insurance records

Reference	Function description/type of record	Retention action/retention period	Examples of records	Notes
2.2.1	Insurance claims	Retain indefinitely	LACHS (held electronically on insurance register)	Common practice
2.2.2	Insurance contracts and policy documentation	Indefinitely	Contracts - expired Policy documentation Insurance certificates	Common practice

NOTE: Paper copies of insurance documents held at Rushock Archive

2.3. Accountancy and Finance

Reference	Function description/type of record	Retention action/retention period	Examples of records	Notes
2.3.1	Budget monitoring reports	Six years plus current year	Monthly reports to CLT and Members	Held electronically. Common practice
2.3.2	Estimate working papers	Six years plus current year	Budget completion spreadsheets Other supporting documentation	Held electronically. Common practice
2.3.3	Financial ledgers	Six years plus current year	Includes journals Year end reports	Held electronically. Common practice
2.3.4	Grant claim records	Six years plus current year		Held electronically. Common practice
2.3.5	Statement of accounts	Six years plus current year	Final accounts completion Other supporting documentation	Held electronically. Common practice
2.3.6	VAT	Six years plus current year	Claims Records	Held electronically. Common practice

2.4. Bank related records

Reference	Function description/type of record	Retention action/retention period	Examples of records	Notes
2.4.1	Bank records	Six years plus current year	Bank reconciliation statements (held as paper records) Bank statements (held electronically)	Common practice
2.4.2	Cheques drawer	Six years plus current year	Cancelled/returned cheques Cheque lists (held as paper records	Common practice
2.4.3	Treasury	Six years plus current year	Loan records and correspondence for Parish Councils and PWLB (held electronically) Investment records (held as paper records and electronically)	Common practice

2.5. Miscellaneous records

Reference	Function description/type of record	Retention action/retention period	Examples of records	Notes
2.5.1	Car loans	Six years plus current year	Loan agreements (now complete, no further loans)	Common practice
2.5.2	Mortgages: records and correspondence	Retain indefinitely	One mortgage to be redeemed in December 2017)	Common practice
2.5.3	Travelling and subsistence claims (officers and members)	Six years plus current year	Staff on HR21 (held electronically) Manual Records (Staff/members with no access to HR21) (held electronically)	Common practice

Reference

Function description/type of record

Retention action/retention period

Examples of records

Notes

2.5.1

Car loans

Six years plus current year

Loan agreements (now complete, no further loans)

Common practice

2.5.2

Mortgages: records and correspondence

Retain indefinitely

One mortgage to be redeemed in December 2017)

Common practice

2.5.3

Travelling and subsistence claims (officers and members)

Six years plus current year

Staff on HR21 (held electronically)
Manual Records (Staff/members with no access to HR21) (held electronically)

Common practice

2.6 PAYROLL

Reference	Function description/type of record	Retention action/retention period	Examples of records	Notes
2.6.1	Retirement Benefit Schemes	6 years from the end of the scheme year in which the event took place	· Records of notifiable events e.g. relating to incapacity	Retirement Benefits Schemes (Information Powers) Regs 1995 (SI 1995/3103)
2.6.2	Statutory Maternity Pay Records	3 years after the end of the tax year in which the maternity period ends	· Calculations · Certificates (Mat B1s) · Other medical evidence	Statutory Maternity Pay (General) Regs 1986 (SI986/1960) as amended
2.6.3	Wages/Salary Payments	6 years	· Including overtime, bonuses and expenses	Taxes Management Act 1998
2.6.4	National Minimum Wage Records	3 years after the end of the pay reference period following the one that records the cover		National Minimum Wage Act 1998
2.6.5	Records relating to working time	2 years from the date on which they were made		Working Time Regs 1998 (SI1998/1833)
2.6.6	Payroll File	6 years plus current year (7 years)	· BACS records and output · Building Society reports · Correspondence · Overtime records · Payroll adjustments · SSP & SMP records · Clearance · Tax and NI records
2.6.7	Income Tax and NI Returns	Not less than 3 years after the end of the financial year to which they relate	· Income Tax records · Correspondence with HMRC	Income Tax (Employments) Regs 1993 (SI1993/744) as amended by the Tax (Employments)(Amendment No.6) Regs 1996 (SI1996/2631)

Back

Website feedback

Was this page useful? ^Required

Yes No

Consent for storing submitted data; ^Required

Yes, I give permission to store and process my data

Please tell us how we can improve the page;

Your email address;

Please complete;

2. Resources

Contents

2.1. Financial regulations

2.2. Insurance records

2.3. Accountancy and Finance

2.4. Bank related records

2.5. Miscellaneous records

2.6 PAYROLL