Council tax is one of the debts people worry about most, partly because of how quickly it can escalate. Here's what the letters mean and where we come in.
Council tax is billed for the year and usually paid in ten or twelve monthly instalments. If an instalment is missed, the council sends a reminder notice giving a short period, typically seven days, to bring the account up to date. A second missed payment brings a second reminder. After that, or if a reminder is not paid in time, the right to pay by instalments can be withdrawn and the whole of the remaining year's bill becomes due at once.
If the balance stays unpaid the council can apply to the magistrates' court for a liability order. This is a court confirmation that the money is owed, and it adds court costs to the debt. Once a liability order is in place the council has a range of ways to collect, including passing the debt to enforcement agents (bailiffs), taking deductions directly from wages or certain benefits, or, for larger sums, seeking a charging order against a property.
Council tax is what advisers call a priority debt. That is not a comment on how much is owed; it reflects that the consequences of not paying can be more serious than for things like credit cards or catalogues. It is also why people often feel the pressure from council tax before anything else.
We will not tell you what to do about your council tax, because we are not debt advisers. What we will do is listen to where things are up to, take the details that matter, and, with your consent, introduce you to a regulated debt specialist who can look at your whole situation and explain the options that are actually available to you. There is no charge for speaking to us and no obligation to go any further.
Being upfront with you: Please Help My Debt is an introducer. We do not give debt advice or recommend debt solutions ourselves. Any advice comes from the regulated specialist we introduce you to, with your consent. Nothing on this page is advice about your own situation.
