Ministry issues consultation on enforcement of council tax

The first part seeks views on the statutory steps councils should follow ahead of formal enforcement action. This includes the schedule and content of notices of missed payments.

The second part relates to developing guidance on further steps and best practice for recovering council tax. This seeks views on the steps councils currently take, and how best practice can be applied across local government.

The consultation also aims to highlight any operational barriers or constraints that local authorities face in carrying out these steps.

Data released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government last month revealed that outstanding council tax debt has reached a new high of £7.4 billion across England.

According to debt charity StepChange, this marks an increase of 11.3% year-on-year when compared with the figure at the end of 2024-2025, which stood at £6.6 billion.

The consultation will last for 4 weeks from 1 July to 29 July. The Government said it encourages all local authorities to respond to the consultation and share their views and expertise.

Commenting on the latest figures on outstanding council tax debt, Vikki Brownridge, Chief Executive at StepChange, said: “Council tax debt reform is an urgent priority, and existing collection rules must change, as was recently signalled by the Government. We also need to see a firm commitment to a pre-action protocol and increased take-up of council tax support, which is a benefit that goes widely underclaimed. Without these interventions, we will continue to see this debt figure rise each year and more people forced into difficulty.”

Lottie Winson