UK AUTHORITIES ATTACKED FOR ISSUING 1.2M COUNCIL TAX SUMMONSES

FIRST PUBLISHED BY: THE GUARDIAN

1.2 MILLION PEOPLE RECEIVED A COURT SUMMONS LAST YEAR FOR COUNCIL TAX

Local authorities have been criticised for using heavy-handed tactics to recover Council Tax arrears after the Liberal Democrats published figures today showing that more than 1.2 million people received a court summons last year, with nearly 600,000 visited by bailiffs after falling behind with payments. The data, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, showed councils filed for bankruptcy against 1,706 people.

The Lib Dems' local government secretary, Julia Goldsworthy, said public bodies had a duty to mitigate "the devastating effect that failing to pay Council Tax can have on families", particularly those already struggling under the burden of mortgage payments and rising bills. "Just as lenders are being asked to reduce repossessions, public bodies should do everything they can to ensure that bankruptcy is only ever a last resort," she said.

"This is not a licence to avoid paying bills, it is about ensuring that court appearances and bankruptcy are avoided where possible." The Lib Dems received responses from more than 170 local authorities. The data showed that 1.23m summons were issued in 2007/08, with 570,500 bailiff visits during the same period.

The most common method to try to recover Council Tax was an attachment of earnings order, in which a debtor's employer is asked to deduct the money from their salary and pay it directly to the council. Authorities can launch a bankruptcy petition where more than £750 is owed. The Local Government Association (LGA) confirmed the Lib Dem figures but said 99% of people who received a summons or were referred to bailiffs did not actually end up in court or have any goods seized.

"Town halls only take measures such as bankruptcy as an absolute last resort and with people who have a history of non-payment," said the LGA vice-chairman, Sir Jeremy Beecham. "People struggling to pay bills are given as much leeway as possible." A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Local Government said it was "only fair" that councils pursued Council Tax debts as not doing so would increase bills for others. "Our existing guidance makes clear that they should only consider court action as a last resort for collecting Council Tax," he said.

READ WHAT: ERIC PICKLES ‘SECRETARY OF STATE’ SAYS ABOUT OVER-CHARGED COUNCIL TAX.


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