The majority of people pay their Council Tax on time, some people have genuine difficulties in meeting payments, and a very small minority choose to avoid payment of Council Tax.
If you experience serious financial difficulties please click here for agencies that can give impartial help and advice on your situation.
The Council has a duty to collect the Council Tax to help keep bills as low as possible.
If a summons has been issued and the court grants a liability order for the debt the council can take a number of actions to recover outstanding monies.
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An arrangement can be made to pay off the debt in a number of instalments.
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The Council can apply an attachment of earnings order. This means an employer deducts a prescribed percentage of money from your wages/salary to pay off the outstanding Council Tax
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The Council can apply a deduction of benefit. This means a small amount of your benefits are deducted from your entitlement to pay off the outstanding Council Tax
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Bailiffs can be instructed to collect the debt on behalf of the Council
Where these methods of recovering the debt are unsuccessful, further recovery action may be necessary.
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Charging orders – A charging order can be placed on the debtor’s property so that when the property is sold the outstanding Council Tax is paid from the proceeds of the sale. In some instances the Council can force the sale of the property.
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Insolvency – The Council can make someone bankrupt in order to realise their assets to discharge the outstanding debt.
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Committal – The Council can take the debtor back to court and if proven that the debtor has shown ‘wilful refusal’ or ‘culpable neglect’ to pay their Council Tax they may be imprisoned.
