Council tax has been in the news recently, with speculation that the chancellor may decide to make sweeping reforms. This may be driven as much by fiscal pressure as by the desire to recalibrate an unloved and outdated system. But aside from its structural problems, council tax is also a massive contributor to problem debt in the UK – so it’s something we, as the largest provider of debt advice and solutions, are seeking to address.
Among the people who turn to StepChange for help with debt, over a third have council tax arrears. The typical amount they owe is over £2,000, and it’s a postcode lottery in terms of the levels of financial support or reductions given by their local authority based on their circumstances. This…