Claire Whitmore
Claire writes our guides to bailiffs, council tax enforcement and debt solutions. She checks every article against legislation, GOV.UK guidance and official statistics, and keeps them up to date when the rules change.
Claire Whitmore is the lead writer at How To Stop The Bailiffs. She researches how bailiff enforcement, council tax collection, county court judgments and personal insolvency work in England and Wales, and turns the rules into plain-English guides for people who are worried about debt.
Claire writes from primary sources: legislation such as the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 and the Taking Control of Goods Regulations, GOV.UK guidance from the Ministry of Justice and the Insolvency Service, and official statistics. Every article she writes is fact-checked before publication and reviewed when the rules change, as they did for bailiff notice periods and fees on 1 May 2026.
Her aim is simple: to make sure nobody faces a knock at the door without knowing their rights and their options, including the free ones.
How we research and check our content: editorial policy.
Topics Claire covers
- Bailiff and enforcement agent rules
- council tax arrears
- county court judgments
- Breathing Space
- Debt Relief Orders
- Individual Voluntary Arrangements
- priority debts
Articles by Claire (73)
Your rights when bailiffs visit: the rules bailiffs must follow
Notice periods, visiting hours, entry, what bailiffs can take and what they can charge.
Breathing Space: how the 60-day debt protection scheme works
The free 60-day legal protection that pauses bailiffs and freezes interest while you get advice.
Debt Relief Orders (DROs): the complete 2026 guide
The free debt solution for people with low income and few assets, including the 2026 eligibility rules.
Debt solutions compared: DRO vs IVA vs bankruptcy vs debt management plan
DROs, IVAs, bankruptcy, debt management plans and more, side by side.
How to stop bailiffs: the complete guide for 2026
Every legal way to stop bailiff action, what each one costs and how quickly it works.
Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs): how they work, costs and risks
How IVAs work, what they cost, how they stop bailiffs, and the risks to weigh up first.
Priority debts: which debts to deal with first
Why council tax, fines, rent and energy come first, and how to deal with them.
Bailiffs and debt in Scotland and Northern Ireland
How enforcement and debt solutions differ outside England and Wales.
Marston bailiffs: what to do if Marston Holdings contacts you
What a Marston letter means, the fees they can charge and how to stop enforcement.
Equita bailiffs: how to deal with an Equita letter or visit
Equita letters explained, plus how to agree a payment plan you can actually afford.
Bristow & Sutor bailiffs: parking and council tax letters explained
What a Bristow & Sutor letter means for parking penalties and council tax, and how to respond.
Jacobs bailiffs: car clamping, letters and how to stop enforcement
What to do if Jacobs has written to you or clamped your car, and how to stop extra fees.
Rossendales bailiffs: checking fees and challenging enforcement
How to check Rossendales' fees, deal with a visit and complain if something's wrong.
Newlyn bailiffs: what a Newlyn letter means and your next steps
A 14-day action plan after a Newlyn letter, plus your rights if an agent visits.
Got a bailiff letter? What it means and what to do next
How to read a bailiff letter, how long you have and what to do first.
Can bailiffs take my partner's or family's belongings?
Whose belongings bailiffs can take, the joint ownership trap and how to prove what's whose.
Bailiff letters for someone who doesn't live here: what to do
How to stop bailiff letters and visits for someone who no longer lives at your address.
Can bailiffs take money from my bank account?
Who can and can't take money from your account, and how to protect your income.
Fake bailiffs and scam letters: how to check a bailiff is real
Seven checks to tell a genuine bailiff from a scammer, and what to do if you've been targeted.
How long can bailiffs chase a debt?
The time limits on bailiff action, and why waiting it out is rarely a good plan.
Bailiffs and self-employed people: protecting your van and work tools
How the £1,350 tools of the trade exemption works, and the extra risks for business owners.
Council tax summons: what it means and what to do before the hearing
What a council tax summons means and what to do before the court date.
Council tax liability order: what it means and how to stop bailiffs
What a liability order lets the council do, and how to stop it turning into bailiff visits.
Can you go to prison for not paying council tax?
When prison is possible for council tax in England, why it's rare and how to avoid it.
Council tax attachment of earnings: how much can be taken from your wages?
How council tax deductions from wages work, and what to do if they leave you short.
Council tax arrears taken from benefits: how deductions work
How council tax deductions from Universal Credit and other benefits work, and how to get help.
Council Tax Reduction and discounts: how to cut your bill and arrears
Every way to reduce your council tax, and how to ask for help to be backdated.
Can council tax debt be written off?
The realistic ways council tax arrears can be reduced or cleared, and their downsides.
Can't pay a magistrates' court fine? What happens and what to do
How court fines are enforced, why they're different from other debts, and how to get affordable payments.
HMRC debt: what HMRC can do and how to stop enforcement
HMRC's enforcement powers, and how a Time to Pay arrangement can stop them.
What is a CCJ? County court judgments explained
How CCJs work, from the claim form to bailiffs, and how to limit the damage.
How to set aside a CCJ you didn't know about
When you can set aside a CCJ, how to apply with form N244 and how to pause enforcement.
Warrant of control: how to stop county court bailiffs with form N245
How to suspend a county court warrant of control with form N245.
High Court Enforcement Officer letter: what it means and how to respond
What an HCEO letter means, their higher fees and how to apply for a stay.
Attachment of earnings orders: when creditors can take money from your wages
How a court takes money from your wages after a CCJ, and how to keep enough to live on.
Charging orders: can a creditor force the sale of your home?
How charging orders work, when a sale is possible and how to protect your home.
IVA eligibility: who qualifies for an Individual Voluntary Arrangement?
The factors that decide whether an IVA is possible, and who it doesn't suit.
IVA fees explained: what an IVA really costs
How IVA fees work, what to ask before signing and when an IVA isn't good value.
Is an IVA a good idea? The honest pros and cons
The honest pros and cons of an IVA, and who it suits.
IVAs and your home: equity release, extensions and what to expect
How equity release works in an IVA, and what happens if you can't remortgage.
IVA vs debt management plan: which is better?
A side-by-side comparison of IVAs and debt management plans.
IVA vs bankruptcy: which is right for you?
Bankruptcy and IVAs compared on cost, length, your home, your job and your credit file.
Missed IVA payments: payment breaks, variations and what happens if an IVA fails
What to do if you can't keep up IVA payments, before it fails.
How to apply for a Debt Relief Order: step-by-step guide
The DRO application process, step by step, including the documents you'll need.
What debts can be included in a DRO?
The full list of debts a DRO can and can't include, with the tricky cases explained.
DRO vs bankruptcy: which is better for you?
DROs and bankruptcy compared on cost, eligibility, assets and restrictions.
How to go bankrupt in England and Wales: process, cost and consequences
The bankruptcy process step by step, what it costs and what it means for your home and job.
Debt management plans explained: how a DMP works
How DMPs work, who they suit, and why they don't stop bailiffs for priority debts.
Can debt be written off in the UK? The legitimate ways
The real ways debt gets written off, and how to avoid misleading "write-off" adverts.
Is debt help really free? How debt advice firms are paid
Who pays for debt advice, what you should never pay for, and how to check a firm.
Can I keep my car in an IVA, DRO or bankruptcy?
Whether you can keep your car in each debt solution, including cars on finance.
Statute-barred debt: when a creditor can no longer take you to court
How the six-year rule works, which debts it covers and how to respond to old debt letters.
Letters from Lowell, Cabot or Intrum: what debt collectors can and can't do
What debt purchasers can and can't do, and how to check a debt before you pay.
Can't pay car finance? Your options, from voluntary termination to repossession rules
Voluntary termination, repossession protection and other options if you can't pay car finance.
Behind on energy bills? Prepayment meter rules and getting help
Energy suppliers' rules, prepayment meter protections and where to get grants and help.
Can't pay your credit card? What happens and what to do
What happens when you can't pay a credit card, and the options that can stop it escalating.
Debt and mental health: getting help and extra protection
The protections available if debt is affecting your mental health, and how to use them.
Child maintenance arrears: how the CMS enforces them and what to do
How the Child Maintenance Service enforces arrears, and how to stop it escalating.
Bailiffs at the door? What to do right now, step by step
What to do, minute by minute, if an enforcement agent is outside your home.
Can bailiffs force entry to your home? The rules in 2026
When bailiffs can and can't break in, and what "peaceful entry" really means.
What can bailiffs take? Exempt goods explained
The full list of protected goods, the £1,350 tools limit and how to prove something isn't yours.
Bailiff fees explained: what enforcement agents can legally charge in 2026
The new fixed fees from 1 May 2026, how the 7.5% is worked out and how to challenge wrong charges.
Council tax arrears and bailiffs: how to stop enforcement
How the council tax enforcement process works and the ways to stop bailiffs at each stage.
Notice of Enforcement: what it means and how long you have
The new 14-day notice rule, the 28-day extension and what to do before a visit.
Can Breathing Space stop bailiffs? How the 60-day protection works
How Breathing Space pauses bailiffs for 60 days, and the debts it doesn't cover.
Will a Debt Relief Order stop bailiffs?
When DRO protection starts, which bailiff debts it covers and the 2026 eligibility rules.
Can an IVA stop bailiffs?
When IVA protection starts, what happens before approval, and the costs and risks to weigh up.
Can bailiffs take your car? Clamping, finance and Blue Badges
When bailiffs can clamp or take a car, which vehicles are protected and how to get one back.
Controlled goods agreements: should you sign one?
What you're agreeing to, what happens if you miss a payment, and when to say no.
Bailiffs and vulnerable people: extra protection if you're struggling
How vulnerability changes what bailiffs can do, and how to get enforcement paused or stopped.
Parking fines and bailiffs: how to stop PCN enforcement
How a parking ticket reaches bailiffs, and how TE7 and TE9 forms can reopen the case.
Debt collectors vs bailiffs vs High Court Enforcement Officers: what's the difference?
Who has real powers to take your belongings, and who doesn't, and how to tell them apart.
How to complain about a bailiff (and challenge their fees)
Who to complain to, in what order, what evidence to gather and a template you can use.