HBC: Use of bailiffs in Lancashire

Local councils in Lancashire instructed bailiffs 55,440 times to collect debts owed by individuals and businesses during 2014/15, according to new research by the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline. Experts say the total, revealed by individual councils across the county in response to Freedom of Information requests, shows that more needs to be done to help those in financial difficulty at an earlier stage.

The research was conducted as part of National Debtline’s new Stop The Knock campaign In total, councils in England and Wales instructed bailiffs 2.1 million times for debts including council tax, parking, business rates and other arrears – an increase of 16 percent on two years ago when the Money Advice Trust last researched the issue.

The overall figure of 55440 bailiff referrals from councils in Lancashire represents an increase of 37 percent on two years ago, when authorities in the county reported 40503 referrals in the 2012 calendar year. The charity is calling for bailiffs, now known legally as enforcement agents, to be used only as a last resort, with a greater focus on preventative work and early detection and intervention where residents and businesses fall behind.

Last year National Debtline provided free, independent advice to 2,012 residents across Lancashire, and says it wants to help many more who are struggling financially in the county. The charity has written to local council leaders with details of its latest research on bailiff use, and to call for improvements to debt collection practices to make sure people who are struggling get the free advice they need.

Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson said; “The majority of our residents always pay their Council Tax on time and in full each year. We have a duty to collect taxes so that we can continue to deliver services for all our residents, however, as some people fall into debt at some point in their lives, we are sympathetic and work out affordable payment plans to help them, whilst maximising the collection of Council Tax to safeguard our services for all residents of the borough. Bailiffs are only ever a last resort where residents continually avoid engaging with us or continually fail to pay and we would always ask anyone in difficulties to please speak to us, take action quickly, don’t wait for the bailiffs or summons. We always aim to come to an agreement and talking to us at the outset may prevent any further action being taken. We also refer people struggling financially to organisations such as Citizens Advice Bureau and the Money Advice Trust who offer invaluable impartial help and advice."