Local councils quick to use bailiffs

A new report by the Treasury Select Committee has found that local councils and government bodies are often worse than consumer creditors, can be very aggressive and quick to use bailiffs.

MPs have called for public sector bodies to change the way they recoup debts, to rid the current practice of councils pursuing debts and overpayments ‘over-zealously and uncompromisingly’, an approach that risks driving vulnerable, struggling people into further difficulty.

Receiving evidence from a umber of bodies, the Financial Conduct Authority told the committee that about a fifth of debt clients were arriving with problems paying council tax and utility bills, whilst Step Change, the debt charity, said it was now seeing average council tax debts of above £1,000 for about a third of its clients.

Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury Committee, said: "Many households are facing challenges that are putting pressure on the health and sustainability of their finances. Over-indebtedness, lack of rainy day savings and insufficient pension savings are some of the weaknesses in the household balance sheet identified in this inquiry.

“The committee’s report makes a series of recommendations for the government to consider that would help households ensure that their finances are as resilient as possible. Whilst financial service regulators and guidance bodies have important roles to play, the government should not pass the buck to them."

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: "MPs are right to acknowledge that government agencies and local authorities are worst in class for debt collection, when they should be leading by example. Reforms in 2014 were introduced to protect people from unfair practices, with a particular focus on how bailiffs collect debt. It is clear these changes have failed. Citizens Advice has seen a more than 25 per cent rise in bailiff problems since 2014 and helped 42,000 people with 98,000 issues last year. We need an independent regulator to protect consumers from unfair practice."