One in eight adults have missed at least one council tax payment in the past year, according to new research.
The survey, conducted by Debt Advisory Centre, found that 12% of these people have missed five or more payments in the last 12 months, with those aged 25-34 most likely to be in council tax arrears.
The research also highlighted confusion surrounding council tax payments, with a quarter of those in arrears unaware they could face a prison sentence if they refused or failed to bring their account up-to-date.
A fifth of those surveyed also thought there was no consequence to getting behind with payments, with 40% saying they’d expect the council to simply keep chasing them for missing payments without taking further action.
Ian Williams, spokesman for DAC, said: ‘Many people who are struggling financially don’t realise that their council tax should be treated as a priority debt and paid before any money is allocated to unsecured lenders such as credit card and loan repayments.’
