Bailiff and debt articles
Practical articles answering the questions people ask most about bailiffs, enforcement fees, council tax arrears, parking fines and debt solutions in England and Wales.
Straight answers to the questions people ask us most. For the bigger picture, see our guides.
Latest articles
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.
Your rights
What bailiffs (enforcement agents) can and can't do in England and Wales: notice, visiting hours, entry, the goods they can take and the protections that apply to you.
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.
Bailiff companies
Had a letter from an enforcement company? Plain-English guides to the firms councils and courts use most, what their letters mean and how to deal with them.
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.
Fees and complaints
The fees bailiffs can legally charge, how to check them and how to complain if something has gone wrong.
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.
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.
Council tax and fines
Council tax arrears, parking penalties, magistrates' court fines and other debts that can quickly lead to bailiffs, and how to stop enforcement.
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.
Court action and CCJs
County court judgments, warrants of control, High Court writs, attachment of earnings and charging orders explained.
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.
IVAs
Individual Voluntary Arrangements explained honestly: who they suit, what they cost, how they stop bailiffs and the risks to weigh up.
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.
DROs and bankruptcy
Debt Relief Orders and bankruptcy: eligibility, costs, what they cover and how they stop creditor action.
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.
Will a Debt Relief Order stop bailiffs?
When DRO protection starts, which bailiff debts it covers and the 2026 eligibility rules.
Debt solutions
Breathing Space, debt management plans, write-offs and free advice: the ways to deal with debt for good.
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.
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.
Types of debt
Credit cards, payday loans, car finance, energy bills and debt collection letters: what creditors can do and how to deal with each one.
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.