If you are liable to pay council tax you will be sent a bill. This bill will show:
- how much you owe
- any reductions you are entitled to
- the instalment dates the payments should reach your account
- the amounts to pay.
Finding help if you're having trouble paying
We want to help residents keep up to date with their council tax payments.
If you're having trouble paying your council tax, talk to us. We can help you to access benefits or apply for reductions, and give you advice on managing debts.
We also recommend you speak to Citizen's Advice (external site), who will advise you of your rights and options.
If you continue to not pay council tax, we may use the law to recover arrears and any costs we incur.
Contact us to talk about your council tax difficulties. |
Reminders
If you do not pay, or if you pay late, you will receive a reminder.
The reminder shows when your instalments were due, what the Council has received and how much you owe.
Please note that the Council is only legally required to send one reminder before starting court proceedings.
If you continue to miss payments or pay late, you will be sent either a final notice, or a summons.
Final notices
If you are sent a final notice, you lose the right to continue to pay by instalments and have to pay all the council tax you owe for the remainder of the financial year within seven days.
If you do not pay the full amount of the council tax within seven days, then you will receive a summons.
Summonses
If you receive a summons, you will be advised of your debt and of a court hearing date. You will also have to pay the costs incurred by the Council for obtaining the summons.
If you cannot pay the full amount (including costs), you must contact the council to discuss your situation.
14-day notices
At the summons hearing, the Council seeks to obtain a liability order, which gives the Council extra powers to recover the money owed from you.
Obtaining the liability order further increases the costs you are charged.
You will then be sent a letter advising that you have 14 days to pay this debt (including costs) before it is passed to the Council’s bailiffs. Alternatively, deductions may be taken direct from your earnings or benefits.
Bailiffs
If your debt is passed to the bailiffs, you will need to contact them directly to discuss payment of this debt. The bailiffs may take some of your belongings and sell them at a public auction to pay off the debt. You will be charged further costs if your debit is passed to the bailiffs. Click here to see the bailiff charges connected with distress for the non-payment of council tax.
If the bailiffs do not manage to get back all the money you owe us, the court may decide to send you to prison for up to three months.
Charging order
If you own your home a charge may be placed on your property so that, when the property is sold, the council tax debt (including costs) will be paid from the proceeds of the sale.
Bankruptcy
The Council can apply to the High Court to petition for you to be made bankrupt if your debt exceeds £750.
Please see the document below for further details on bankruptcy.