Figures reveal bailiff use by Babergh District Council, Mid Suffolk District Council, West Suffolk Council, East Suffolk Council and Ipswich Borough Council for debt collection

New data has revealed a rise in the use of bailiffs to collect unpaid debts at three Suffolk councils.

Local authorities across the county are being urged to improve the way they collect council tax arrears and other debts following the results of a Freedom of Information request by National Debtline, a free debt advice service run by charity the Money Advice Trust.

The full figures of referred debts to bailiffs in the 2022/23 financial year by Babergh District Council, Mid Suffolk District Council, West Suffolk Council, East Suffolk Council and Ipswich Borough Council can be seen below:

Babergh District Council - 1,181 debts referred to bailiffs
Mid Suffolk District Council - 1,048 debts referred to bailiffs
Ipswich Borough Council - 6,070 debts referred to bailiffs
West Suffolk Council - 6,831 debts to bailiffs
East Suffolk Council - 7,167 debts to bailiffs

Mid Suffolk has seen an eight per cent increase since pre-pandemic levels in 2018/19, while Babergh has seen a 32 per cent increase.

However, a spokesperson for Babergh and Mid Suffolk district councils stressed their baseline referral figures were far lower than many other councils, while both authorities already offered residents 100 per cent Council Tax support schemes as well as free debt support and advice.

The spokesperson added: “We understand the stress and worry experienced by residents facing financial hardship – and do everything within our power to support and work with our residents to find a solution to debt.

“We already offer a range of help and support, including a council tax reduction scheme and only use bailiffs as a last resort.

“This is reflected by the fact that we have made the lowest number of referrals across all Suffolk councils.”

Ipswich Borough Council saw a three per cent decrease since pre-pandemic levels. East Suffolk Council also recorded a decrease, though the exact percentage is unclear, while comparable data for West Suffolk Council was unavailable.

Cllr Martin Cook, Ipswich Borough Council portfolio holder for resources, said enforcement was a last resort.

“Our first priority is always to engage and work constructively with anyone who has an unpaid debt to the council, commonly Council Tax arrears or an unpaid parking fine, and agree a payment arrangement with them,” said Cllr Cook.

“We have been reviewing how we deal with cases, investing in tools and staff training and also reviewing the circumstances under which we refer cases to our enforcement agents.

“Enforcement is always the last resort and only happens once all other channels of communication have been exhausted and we have failed to agree a payment plan.”

Steve Vaid, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust, said Mid Suffolk and Babergh district councils were in the 41 per cent of authorities which had increased bailiff use since the pandemic.

He said: “Local authorities remain under significant financial pressure and Council Tax plays a crucial role in funding vital local services.

“Facing bailiff action, however, can be a distressing experience and risks pushing people already struggling into deeper financial difficulty. Bailiffs should only ever be used as a last resort.”

Bailiffs, known officially as enforcement agents, have the right to visit properties to seize and sell goods in order to recover certain debts, including council tax arrears, parking fines and other outstanding amounts.

The charity has said bailiff use remains too high and is urging improvements in debt collection practices to reduce the number of cases being escalated.

In 2022/23, councils across England and Wales referred 2.71 million debts to bailiffs, a figure consistent with the pre-pandemic level of 2.65 million.

The full figures can be found at www.stoptheknock.org.

These findings form part of wider research into Council Tax debt and collection practices published by the Centre for Social Justice, which revealed 1.3 million households fell behind on their Council Tax bill in 2022/23.

National Debtline is calling for the Government to implement national changes to reduce and regulate bailiff actions including providing new ring-fenced funding for councils to offer 100 per cent Council Tax Support schemes for individuals with the lowest incomes.

West Suffolk Council and East Suffolk Council were approached for comment.