Council tax debt is the last remaining form of debt for which you can still – in England at least – get sent to prison. Thankfully, this is largely a notional position. Even so, new figures from the Ministry of Justice reveal that in 2024 19 people did receive suspended sentences for their non-payment.
At StepChange Debt Charity, the largest provider of debt advice and solutions in the United Kingdom, over the last few years we have seen a significant increase in the prevalence and amount of arrears for council tax. As ready partners for local authorities to work jointly with in reducing the impact of debt on both individuals as well as their own increasing revenue debt gap, our stance is that the…