Council tax arrears and bailiffs: how to stop enforcement

Council tax is now the single biggest reason people in England and Wales get a visit from bailiffs. Councils passed 1.72 million council tax debts to bailiffs in 2025/26, according to Freedom of Information research by the Money Advice Trust. Total council tax arrears in England reached £7.4 billion at 31 March 2026, up £764 million in a year (MHCLG).

It’s also a growing problem for people already in debt. More than one in three StepChange clients (35%) were behind on council tax in 2024/25, with average arrears of £2,094.

How council tax enforcement works

Council tax arrears can escalate very quickly. The usual process in England is:

1. Reminder notice. If you miss an instalment, the council sends a reminder. You usually have 7 days to catch up.
2. Loss of instalments. If you don’t catch up, or fall behind again, you can lose the right to pay in instalments. The whole year’s bill then becomes due.
3. Summons. The council applies to the magistrates’ court for a liability order. Court costs are added.
4. Liability order. The court grants the order, usually without you attending. The council can now use enforcement powers.
5. Enforcement. The council chooses how to recover the debt: bailiffs, deductions from your wages (attachment of earnings), deductions from benefits, a charging order on your home, bankruptcy, or, in England and in rare cases, an application to commit you to prison for wilful refusal or culpable neglect. In Wales, prison for council tax debt was abolished in 2019.

Once the debt is passed to bailiffs, a £79 compliance fee is added (for cases passed from 1 May 2026), and you’ll get a Notice of Enforcement giving at least 14 clear days before a visit.

Step 1: Act before the visit

The cheapest time to deal with council tax bailiffs is at the compliance stage, before anyone visits. Once a bailiff attends your home, another £247 (plus 7.5% of any debt over £1,900) can be added. See bailiff fees explained.

Contact the enforcement company and offer an affordable payment arrangement. Put it in writing, with a short budget.

Step 2: Ask the council to take the debt back

The council is the creditor and stays in control of the debt, even after passing it to bailiffs. You can ask it to recall the debt (sometimes called “return to client”) and agree a payment plan directly. This is especially worth doing if:

• you’re vulnerable – for example, you have a serious illness, mental health condition or disability, you’re pregnant, recently bereaved, or caring for someone
• you’re on a low income or benefits and can only afford a small payment
• the bailiffs have refused a reasonable offer
• the bailiffs have broken the rules

Many councils have vulnerability policies and follow government good practice guidance that bailiffs should be a last resort. Read bailiffs and vulnerable people.

Step 3: Check you’re paying the right amount

Arrears often build up because people aren’t getting help they’re entitled to. Check:

• Council Tax Reduction (sometimes called Council Tax Support) if you’re on a low income or benefits
• single person discount of 25% if you’re the only adult living there
• disregards for some people, such as full-time students, carers and people with a severe mental impairment
• disabled band reduction if your home has been adapted
• exemptions, for example for some empty properties or if everyone in the home is a student
• discretionary reductions (sometimes called section 13A relief) for exceptional hardship

If you’re awarded a reduction, ask for it to be backdated where possible, and for your arrears to be recalculated.

Step 4: Get protection while you sort things out

If you can’t afford reasonable payments, or you have other debts too, an adviser can look at:

• Breathing Space, which can stop council tax bailiffs for 60 days while you get advice. Read can Breathing Space stop bailiffs?
• a Debt Relief Order (DRO), which can include council tax arrears and stops the council using bailiffs for those arrears. It’s free. Read will a DRO stop bailiffs?
• an IVA, which can usually include council tax arrears once approved. Read can an IVA stop bailiffs?

In all of these, you must keep paying your current council tax. Only the arrears are covered.

Step 5: Complain if something has gone wrong

If the council or its bailiffs didn’t follow the rules or treat you fairly, complain to the council first. If you’re still unhappy, you can go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, which can investigate councils and the bailiffs acting for them. Read how to complain about a bailiff.

Can bailiffs force entry for council tax?

No. Bailiffs collecting council tax can only enter your home peacefully, through a door. They can’t force entry, but they can take control of a car parked outside that belongs to you. Read can bailiffs force entry? and can bailiffs take my car?

More council tax guides

• Council tax summons: what to do before the hearing
• Council tax liability orders explained
• Council tax attachment of earnings
• Council tax deductions from benefits
• Can you go to prison for not paying council tax?
• Can council tax debt be written off?

Frequently asked questions

How long before council tax goes to bailiffs?

It varies by council, but it can be a matter of weeks. After a missed payment, you’ll get a reminder, then a summons, then a liability order from the magistrates’ court. The council can pass the debt to bailiffs any time after the liability order.

Can I stop council tax bailiffs with a payment plan?

Usually, yes. Most councils and enforcement companies will agree an affordable plan. If the bailiffs refuse a reasonable offer, ask the council to take the debt back.

Can I go to prison for not paying council tax?

In Wales, no – prison for council tax debt was abolished in 2019. In England, it’s possible but rare, and only if a court decides you’ve wilfully refused to pay or been culpably negligent. Getting advice and engaging with the council makes this extremely unlikely.

Does council tax debt affect my credit rating?

A council tax liability order doesn’t usually appear on your credit file. But if the council gets a county court judgment or you enter a formal debt solution, that would.

Can I include council tax arrears in a DRO?

Yes. Council tax arrears can be included in a DRO. Your current year’s council tax still needs to be paid.

Sources

• Money Advice Trust, FOI research on council bailiff referrals (August 2026): moneyadvicetrust.org
• MHCLG, Collection rates for council tax and non-domestic rates in England, 2025 to 2026
• StepChange, Council tax arrears research
• GOV.UK, Council Tax: if you do not pay
• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman