It’s time to end the Council Tax Trap.
We’re calling on the government to end the Council Tax Trap for people with mental health problems. Sign our petition today to play your part.
Our research shows that up to two million people with mental health problems in the UK have fallen into a ‘Council tax trap’ – missing one payment that triggers aggressive demands for rapidly escalating amounts of money.
We know that people with mental health problems are twice as likely to be behind on council tax payments, with their symptoms making it impossible for many to open the post, fill in forms or make a phone call – paralysed while their debt spirals.
Within six weeks of a single missed payment, councils are demanding ten times the original debt, piling on unfair charges and calling in the bailiffs.
It has to stop.
Our Founder and Chair Martin Lewis explains why we’re campaigning:
“Rapidly piling on payment demands, court threats, charges and bailiff action isn’t a fair or productive way to respond to someone missing a payment, either through limited funds, or personal life crisis. It’s like councils are setting a trap for people who miss a payment that they have no hope of escaping from, and that needs to stop.”
We’re calling on the new Government to make council tax collection fair by:
- Changing national regulations so that people are given more time before they are hit with bigger bills, court summons and bailiff action.
- Introducing a cap on how much people can be charged for being issued a liability order.
Together we can end the Council Tax Trap for people with mental health problems.
Backed up by research
Like all of our campaigns, our call to end the Council Tax Trap is backed up by rigorous research. Read In the public interest? to learn more about what’s going wrong with public sector debt collections – and the steps the government and local councils can take to improve the system.
This research was funded by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust.
