Almost half of local authorities in England and Wales – 48%, or 153 councils – increased their use of bailiffs to collect council tax debt in 2025/26, according to new freedom of information (FOI) research.
The research, conducted by National Debtline as part of its Stop the Knock campaign, also found protections for low-income households have weakened. Just 26 councils exempt residents receiving Council Tax Support from bailiff action, down from 35 last year.
This comes as Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) data shows council tax arrears have climbed from £6.6bn to a record £7.4bn.
Overall, 1.72 million arrears cases were passed to bailiffs in 2025/26, largely unchanged from 1.74 million the year before, despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
Council tax debt remains the third most common issue raised with National Debtline, affecting 31% of callers. The charity is calling on councils to adopt fairer collection practices and better protect residents in hardship.
Comment
Steve Vaid, Chief Executive of the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline, said: ‘We know councils are stretched and they have a responsibility to collect council tax and fund vital local services. But they also have a responsibility to support people who genuinely cannot afford to pay. For households already struggling to cover essential bills, bailiff action can quickly make a difficult situation much worse.’
Further reading
Time to ban the use of bailiffs
