A Labour motion to Stockport Council on 17th September will call for a review of local Council Tax practices including an end to bailiffs visiting families with children to collect debts and for a local ‘breathing space’ policy to allow residents in arrears 21 days to seek independent debt advice.
Councillor Kate Butler, Labour Spokesperson for Council Reform who is proposing the motion, said ‘Stockport could hugely benefit from more ethical Council Tax collection practices, something that’s confirmed by a number of Local Authorities who have recently amended their policies to use bailiffs less and have actually seen collection rates increase.
‘The timely collection of Council Tax is crucial in funding local public services and we need to think about the best ways to do this whilst discharging our duty to protect very young or vulnerable residents from the impact of debt.’
A report published by the charity The Children’s Society in March 2015 entitled ‘Wolf at the Door’ estimated that there are 1.6 million children living in 900,000 families who have faced Council Tax debt in the UK.
Matthew Reed, Chief Executive of The Children’s Society, said ‘Councils are more likely to refer a family in Council Tax debt to a bailiff than to an independent debt advisor, which is not acceptable.
‘Councils should give struggling residents a chance to negotiate affordable repayments, and make sure every family in trouble is offered independent debt advice. Every child and teenager deserves to feel safe in their own home without being scared of the next knock at the door.’
A number of Councils across the country have already changed their policies, with Islington Council operating a policy of bailiffs not visiting residents in receipt of Council Tax support and Cornwall Council adopting a ‘breathing space’ policy with accounts placed on hold for 21 days the first time a resident falls into arrears to enable them to access financial advice.