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How to Stop Bailiffs for Council Tax?

Worried about bailiffs chasing you for unpaid council tax? You’re not alone—council tax debts are one of the most common reasons people face enforcement visits. Bailiffs can be intimidating, but there are proven ways to stop bailiffs for council tax before things go too far. At Bailiff Helpline, we’ve helped thousands of people regain control by arranging affordable repayment plans, and guiding them toward debt solutions that protect their homes and belongings. With our confidential, expert advice, you don’t have to face bailiffs alone—we’re here to help you every step of the way

Let's Stop Bailiffs

Can bailiffs force entry for council tax?

Bailiffs collecting council tax arrears cannot usually force entry into your home. They may only come in if you let them in voluntarily or through an unlocked door. They are not allowed to break down doors to recover council tax debts. However, if you ignore bailiffs, they may return multiple times and add fees, or they may look to recover the debt by seizing goods outside, such as a car. Acting quickly—by arranging affordable payments or seeking advice—can stop bailiff action and prevent the situation from escalating further.

Take Action Before Bailiff Do

Ignoring Bailiff can lead to further enforcement action. The sooner you act, the more options you have.
Let's Stop Bailiffs
You will be contacted by Bailiff Helpline which is a trading style of My Debt Plan Ltd.

My Debt Plan Ltd provides insolvency solutions to individuals, specialising in IVA’s. All advice given is following an initial fact find, tailored to your individual circumstances and provided in reasonable contemplation of an insolvency appointment. Our advice on your options is always free and we will notify you if a solution you choose has a fee associated with it. Where you are not suitable for an IVA, we may refer you to one of our trusted partners who specialise in alternative solutions.

Registered address 2nd Floor Blenheim Court, Cheadle, Cheshire, England, SK8 2JY Company Registered in England and Wales Number 10992838 Data Protection ZB284067.

Lucy Novo Deakin of My Debt Plan Ltd and Adam Charles Southard of SLWB Ltd are insolvency practitioners in the UK licensed by the Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA).

*Of 2,381 IVA cases approved between January-December 2023, the average expected write off assuming successful completion is 74%.
A debt write off amount between 25% and 75% is realistic, however, the debt write off amount will differ for each customer upon their individual financial circumstances and is subject to approval of their creditors. Any remaining qualifying unsecured debt in your IVA will be written off, however some unsecured debts will be excluded, such as court fines, child maintenance and student loans, therefore you will need to continue paying these both during and after the IVA.

To find out more about managing your money and getting free advice, visit Money Helper, an independent service set up to help people manage their money.

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Credit Score

Credit Score Pop Up Wording : An Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) is a formal agreement with creditors to repay a portion of your debts over time, but it does have an impact on your credit score and it will be difficult to obtain further credit whilst on an IVA. Once an IVA is approved, it is recorded on your credit report and will typically remain there for six years from the date it starts.
However, it’s important to note this is the case for most debt solutions and your credit score will likely already have been affected by being in debt in the first place.
Once your IVA is complete you will get a fresh start to begin rebuilding your credit rating.

Fees

IVA costs are charged for the preparation of your proposal and the administration of the arrangement for the full term (usually 5 years) these costs are charged from the monthly contributions you make into the IVA and are not in addition. Costs will only be recovered on approval of your arrangement and once you commence making payments to it. The fees for preparation of the proposal to creditors and calling the meeting for creditors to vote on its approval are called nominees fees, the fees for running the arrangement once approved are called supervisors fees. There are also some expenses incurred in the running of the arrangement such as the registration fee and the statutory insurance that needs to be taken by law, these are called disbursements. For our arrangements, the total of all of these is £3,650 although this may be adjusted by creditors when they vote on whether to accept. No matter what the end total of costs come to, you can be rest assured that these will be taken from the monthly payment we agree with you.