Council Tax arrears
Council Tax is the tax you have to pay on your home. The amount you pay depends on the value of your home.
What to do
You need to contact your local council and offer to make reduced payments. Find out if you can get any help, such as Council Tax Benefit.
Also, check whether you can get discounted Council Tax. You may be able to if you are:
- on a low income
- are the only adult in the house
- living with students
- living with adults who are severely mentally disabled
What the council will do
If you make arrangements to pay, but don’t, your council can use the law to demand the full amount you owe, plus costs. In this case, you will receive a Liability Order and have to go to a court hearing and explain your situation.
If you are ordered to make payments you can’t afford, you should continue paying what you can and apply to the court for a reduction.
Worst case scenario
If you ignore the liability order, your council can take action by:
- ordering your employer to deduct a regular amount from your wages for your Council Tax
- sending bailiffs to your home to take your valuables for resale
- applying to make you bankrupt
- evicting you from your property if you are a council tenant
- taking you to court which may result in a custodial sentance
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