Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we would like to request the following information.

1. The number of times between 1st April 2022 and 31st March 2023, or the nearest available twelve-month period, that private bailiffs/enforcement agents have been instructed to enforce debts to the local authority relating to each of the following;
• Council Tax:3254
• Parking: We have referred warrant cases to our enforcement agents to recover the outstanding Penalty Charge Notice debts for April 22 /March 23 – Warrants issued 1176.
• Housing Benefit overpayments: 0
• Business Rates: 223
• Commercial Rents: 0
• Any other debt types, including any other overpayments: Sundry Debts - 36
By “private bailiffs/enforcement agents” we mean those who are self-employed or who work for private companies, including as high court enforcement officers. Please include cases where local authority employees have visited a property to enforce a warrant of control.

2. Before seeking a liability order for a resident for Council Tax arrears, do you take any of the following steps? Please indicate the steps you take.
• Assessment of their income and expenditure: Not in every case
• Assessment of whether the resident (or anyone else) in their household is vulnerable: Yes
• Referral to your Council Tax Reduction / Support scheme: Not in every case
• Referral to income maximisation: Not in every case
• Referral to a free debt advice organisation: Not in every case
We work to the Council Tax legislation, therefore where Council Tax is in arrears and payment has not been received following the issue of a reminder notice, a Liability Order summons is served.
Each case is checked before issuing a summons and the check includes reviewing information known regarding the vulnerability of residents. In exceptional cases, summonses are not issued, and proactive contact is made to the resident or their representative.
Information sheets sent with our reminders and summonses encourage residents to contact us if they are experiencing financial difficulty and confirm details of free debt advice organisations from which residents can obtain support.
Information on our bills, reminders and summonses promotes applications for Council Tax Reduction for residents on low incomes.
When helping residents who have contacted us, all the above steps will be considered and taken as appropriate to the case.

3. Do you signpost residents to one or more free debt advice agencies as part of your Council Tax collections process? If so, which charities?
Yes. Citizens Advice, Step Change, National Debtline, Money Helper.

4. Have you adopted the Standard Financial Statement as a tool for objectively assessing income and expenditure as part of your Council Tax collections process?
No

5. Do you have a formal policy in place for dealing with residents in vulnerable circumstances as part of your collections process for Council Tax arrears? If so, please may you provide a copy of the policy if it is for public consumption.
No. However, as part of our working procedures we look out for vulnerability when helping residents. Once identified, the vulnerability is flagged on our records and support is given, appropriate to the case.

6. Do you currently have a policy of exempting recipients of Council Tax Support / Reduction from the use of bailiff action?
No

7. Have you adopted the Citizens Advice/Local Government Association Council Tax Protocol?
No