Haringey Council claims bailiffs only used as “last resort” but new figures show their use in the borough is growing, reports James Cracknell
Haringey Council has defended its use of bailiffs to collect debts amid growing pressure from local campaign groups to end the practice.
A loud and colourful anti-bailiffs demonstration organised by Acorn Haringey, a local trade union branch, marched through Wood Green last night (Tuesday 17th) and ended at George Meehan House, where a council cabinet meeting was taking place, with the protest causing disruption to the meeting as it continued outside.
The ‘Ban the Bailiffs’ campaign led by Acorn describes bailiffs as “bullies” who “make it harder for people who are already struggling” and highlights that they were sent to nearly 9,000 Haringey households with council tax debt last year.
Acorn Haringey secretary Maurice Lange told Haringey Community Press: “We marched from Wood Green Library to George Meehan House with about 35 people joining us, including members of Acorn and other local organisations. It was very lively.
“We are deeply frustrated by Haringey Council’s refusal to engage with us and I am not convinced they are putting enough effort into looking at other options [instead of using bailiffs].
“We are doing as much as we can – we are not going away.”
Separately, newly-released figures from National Debtline and the Centre for Social Justice have revealed that Haringey Council referred 53,396 debts to bailiffs in total across the 2022/23 financial year, for all types of debts, prompting renewed calls for improvements to be made to the council’s debt collection practices.
National Debtline, the free debt advice service run by the charity Money Advice Trust, has written to leader Peray Ahmet urging the council to commit to improve the way it collects council tax arrears and other debts.
Acorn Haringey has also published an open letter to the council on its website.
In response, the council has said bailiffs are only used “as a last resort” and that they are never used against people the council knows are “vulnerable, face mental health issues or are on low incomes” with “many thousands” being exempt from enforcement action as a result.
The figures from National Debtline released via a Freedom of Information request show there’s been a 33% increase in Haringey Council’s use of bailiffs since 2018/19. The charity says that bailiff use remains too high, with action needed to improve collection practices so that fewer debts are sent to bailiffs in the first place.
Across England and Wales, 2.71 million debts were referred to bailiffs by councils during 2022/23 – broadly unchanged on pre-pandemic levels – but Haringey Council was highlighted as one of 41% of local authorities which had increased its overall use of bailiffs since 2018/19.
Bailiffs, known officially as enforcement agents, have the right to visit a property and can remove and sell goods to repay certain debts, including council tax arrears, parking penalty charge notices and other debts.
National Debtline is calling for national changes from the government to help reduce and reform bailiff action, including through new ring-fenced funding for councils to provide 100% council tax support schemes for those on the lowest incomes.
Locally, the charity-run service is calling for Haringey Council to adopt all of its ‘six steps’ to improve collection practices. This includes making a clear public commitment to reduce the use of bailiffs over time.
Steve Vaid, chief executive of Money Advice Trust, said: “Local authorities remain under significant financial pressure and council tax plays a crucial role in funding vital local services.
“Facing bailiff action, however, can be a distressing experience and risks pushing people already struggling into deeper financial difficulty. Bailiffs should only ever be used as a last resort.
“Unfortunately, Haringey’s use of bailiffs remains high – and our research shows the council is one of 41% of authorities which had increased bailiff use compared to pre-pandemic levels.
“Improving debt collection practices benefits not just people in financial difficulty, but councils too. We have written to the leader with steps they can take so that fewer debts need to be passed to bailiffs in the first place.”
Seema Chandwani, cabinet member for resident services and tackling inequality, and Dana Carlin, cabinet member for finance and corporate services, said: “We want to help all those facing financial hardship and, as a result, spend nearly £35m a year on our Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which supports almost 26,000 struggling families, which is one in five households in the borough.
“We also work proactively in other ways to help residents amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis, including through our wide-ranging ‘Here to Help’ scheme which refers people to the support that they can get.
“The overwhelming majority of cases in the National Debtline figures are parking and traffic fines, which involves a series of steps and multiple notices, usually over a period of around six months, before progressing to enforcement agencies. We are anticipating a drop in the number of PCN cases referred to enforcement agencies this year.
“We only ever use enforcement agencies as a last resort, very often when residents have moved out of the borough, and we are unable to locate them to offer support. In the small proportion of cases when they are used, we have rigorous processes to ensure residents are treated fairly, with all visits videoed so that we can investigate complaints.
“Our ethical approach means we never use bailiffs for council tax debts where we know people are vulnerable, face mental health issues or are on low incomes and many thousands are exempt from enforcement action. Our use of enforcement agencies to collect council tax is lower now than it was before the pandemic, falling by around 1,500.
“We strongly encourage any resident who is struggling to pay their council tax to get in touch with us so that we can offer support. We are here to help.”
Anyone in Haringey struggling with their finances is urged to get in touch with National Debtline as soon as possible. Its expert advisers provide “free, impartial support” and can help residents make a plan.
Contact National Debtline for free, independent debt advice:
Call 0808 808 4000
Visit nationaldebtline.org
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