South Norfolk Council used bailiffs for more than 1,000 debts, figures reveal

Newly released figures have revealed that South Norfolk Council referred 1,045 debts to bailiffs in 2022/23 – a steep drop compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Revealed in response to a freedom of information request, the data showed a 68 per cent decrease compared to 2018/19, but this is still too high, according to the National Debtline, which carried out the research.

The free debt advice service has written to the leader of South Norfolk Council, urging the authority to commit to improve the way it collects council tax arrears and other debts.

Steve Vaid, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline, said the use of bailiffs risked pushing people into deeper financial difficulty.

“Authorities remain under significant financial pressure and council tax plays a crucial role in funding vital local services,” said Mr Vaid.

“Facing bailiff action, however, can be a distressing experience and risks pushing people into more financial difficulty.

“The fact South Norfolk Council has decreased its use of bailiffs to collect debts is welcome, but there is still more to be done to improve debt collection practices for the benefit of both people in difficulty and councils.

“We are calling on the new government to support South Norfolk Council and other authorities by introducing ring-fenced funding to enable all local authorities to provide 100 per cent council tax support to households on the lowest incomes.”

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