Council’s use of bailiffs is ‘humiliating’ and ‘degrading’ says Acorn

A renters’ union has launched a campaign seeking to protect those who are in debt, reports Olivia Opara

A local branch of a renters’ union has launched a campaign against Haringey Council’s use of bailiffs to collect council tax and related debt.

In February, the council came under fire for its use of bailiffs to collect council tax debt and arrears, following the launch of the union Acorn’s ‘Ban the Bailiffs’ campaign.

‘Ban the Bailiffs’ was catalysed by Acorn’s discovery that “thousands of [cases of] council tax debt” were referred to bailiffs in the 2021 to 2022 financial year. In 2018 to 2019, UK councils had instructed bailiffs to collect debts from individuals and businesses on 40,199 occasions, according to Money Advice Trust.

In response to a freedom of information request put by Haringey Community Press to the council, it was disclosed that council tax and non-domestic rates teams employ enforcement agents (EAs) to collect debt, but do not record the number of visits made to households by EAs – meaning HCP was unable to corroborate Acorn Haringey’s claims. However, visits by civil enforcement agents for parking and traffic enforcement totalled 39,730 in 2022, an increase of 209% on the previous year when visits totalled 12,853. The previous year, in 2020, visits only reached 2,086.

Acorn also argued that the council’s ‘ethical debt policy’, which aimed to reduce the use of bailiffs in cases where people were deemed vulnerable, has been flawed – especially during the cost-of-living crisis.

“It’s the sheer inappropriateness of this financially and morally,” said Sian Bradley, an Acorn campaigner. “People are struggling even more now to pay off their debts due to the cost-of-living crisis.”

Sian added that the use of bailiffs is “humiliating” and “degrading”.

This was the case for Candi, who told HCP about her experience of being “threatened” by bailiffs.

In July 2022, Candi was dealing with a medical emergency concerning her late husband when she received a parking ticket of £65. She had been informed that her husband was at risk of death by paramedics, and subsequently forgot to place her blue badge on her car. She then received a ticket from an enforcement officer.

“I told them that the ambulance was right there in front of the car and that they [had] been there since 10am that morning. I didn’t think to look after my car,” said Candi.

She was advised to appeal, but the council failed to respond to this. Last month, she received a letter from bailiffs stating that she owed £275 and instructing her to pay £75 by the end of that week, or they would visit her home and seize her possessions.

Candi said: “I cried as soon as I got the letter. My husband has since passed away and to have this letter come through was so stressful.”

She then wrote to her local councillor and the council about her appeal who said that they would respond by 25th March – which “would be too late,” said Candi.

“I didn’t want to pay the £75 because I had already appealed the ticket.”

Kerry, who has lived in the borough for 40 years, also shared her experience of contact with bailiffs. In 2015, she had council tax debt which accumulated over five years but had managed to pay this until the final year of instalments, when bailiffs approached her.

“They threatened to bring a locksmith and break into my house because I refused to pay more than what I originally owed,” said Kerry.

“I told them that I could not afford to pay more and they said: ‘You need to find [the money].’”

However this was not the only time that Kerry had to deal with council related debt as she had incurred rent arrears in 2007 due to housing benefit overpayment.This led to a continuous “back and forth with the council” which Kerry described as “stressful”.

“You’re walking around with holes in your shoes because you cannot afford to buy new [ones] as you need to pay off your debt,” said Kerry.

“It is a horrible, vicious cycle – especially when you are a single parent and you cannot afford to buy your children things that others have because you cannot afford to even put food on the table. It is not easy for people to get out of that cycle.”

The council has been approached for comment.

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