And people find our statements confusing

Council sent us a statement dated December. They list the total charge, the amount received and the amout due and the payment schedule. They all make sense. Amount received is what we had paid by that date and what the payment schedule says we should have paid by that date. So why send a statement I wonder?

But wait, they also have a column saying "total due" on the statement which is different to the "amount due" that they show in the main body by around £150?

And better, they list the total charge for the year as a different (lower, nice!) amount than the actual rates bill we got at the start of the year. This means we have now actually paid too much.

And odder still, they also sent a cheque, for an amount that does not fit with anything. Their own statement works out that on the date the cheque sent they think we owe them. And its not what we have over paid, or the difference in the charge originally and now, or well, anything. It makes no sense.

How on earth do councils manage without basic adding up skills? Is the rest of the government like that (silly question).