Use of Bailiffs in 2022/23
Case reference FOI2023/00489
Published 25 January 2024
Request
Oxford use of bailiffs/enforcement agents in 2022/2023 Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we would like to request the following information. 1. The number of times between 1st April 2022 and 31st March 2023, or the nearest available twelve-month period, that private bailiffs/enforcement agents have been instructed to enforce debts to the local authority relating to each of the following; * Council Tax * Parking * Housing Benefit overpayments * Business Rates * Commercial Rents * Any other debt types, including any other overpayments. By "private bailiffs/enforcement agents" we mean those who are self-employed or who work for private companies, including as high court enforcement officers. Please include cases where local authority employees have visited a property to enforce a warrant of control. 1. Before seeking a liability order for a resident for Council Tax arrears, do you take any of the following steps? Please indicate the steps you take. * Assessment of their income and expenditure, * Assessment of whether the resident (or anyone else) in their household is vulnerable, * Referral to your Council Tax Reduction / Support scheme, * Referral to income maximisation, * Referral to a free debt advice organisation. 1. Do you signpost residents to one or more free debt advice agencies as part of your Council Tax collections process? (Yes/No) If so, which charities? 1. Have you adopted the Standard Financial Statement<https://sfs.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/> as a tool for objectively assessing income and expenditure as part of your Council Tax collections process? (Yes/No) 1. Do you have a formal policy in place for dealing with residents in vulnerable circumstances as part of your collections process for Council Tax arrears? (Yes/No) If so, please may you provide a copy of the policy if it is for public consumption. 1. Do you currently have a policy of exempting recipients of Council Tax Support / Reduction from the use of bailiff action? (Yes/No) 1. Have you adopted the Citizens Advice/Local Government Association Council Tax Protocol<https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/CitizensAdvice/campaigns/Council%20Tax/Citizens%20Advice%20Council%20Tax%20Protocol%202017.pdf>? (Yes/No)
Response
1. The number of times between 1st April 2022 and 31st March 2023, or the nearest available twelve-month period, that private bailiffs/enforcement agents have been instructed to enforce debts to the local authority relating to each of the following;By "private bailiffs/enforcement agents" we mean those who are self-employed or who work for private companies, including as high court enforcement officers. Please include cases where local authority employees have visited a property to enforce a warrant of control.
* Council Tax
237.
* Parking
575.
* Housing Benefit overpayments
8.
* Business Rates
29.
* Commercial Rents
3.
* Any other debt types, including any other overpayments.
5.
1. Before seeking a liability order for a resident for Council Tax arrears, do you take any of the following steps? Please indicate the steps you take.
* Assessment of their income and expenditure,
* Assessment of whether the resident (or anyone else) in their household is vulnerable,
* Referral to your Council Tax Reduction / Support scheme,
* Referral to income maximisation,
* Referral to a free debt advice organisation.
We have a process where we review the account which are progressing to a liability order to ensure that;there is no post outstanding which could change the amount of Council tax to be paid. This is across both Benefits (for CTR awards) and Revenues staff. We make contact to see if a payment can be made to remove the additional costs and to bring the account back up to date. In those contacts, either in person on the telephone or via email, there is a conversation regarding debt advices with our local partner agencies and our CTR scheme.
1. Do you signpost residents to one or more free debt advice agencies as part of your Council Tax collections process? (Yes/No) If so, which charities?
Yes we do;
Barton Advice
Agnes Smith
CAB
Welfare Rights
1. Have you adopted the Standard Financial Statement<https://sfs.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/> as a tool for objectively assessing income and expenditure as part of your Council Tax collections process? (Yes/No)
No, we are satisfied with our own form.
1. Do you have a formal policy in place for dealing with residents in vulnerable circumstances as part of your collections process for Council Tax arrears? (Yes/No)
Yes, please see attached.
If so, please may you provide a copy of the policy if it is for public consumption.
1. Do you currently have a policy of exempting recipients of Council Tax Support / Reduction from the use of bailiff action? (Yes/No)
No.
1. Have you adopted the Citizens Advice/Local Government Association Council Tax Protocol<https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/Global/CitizensAdvice/campaigns/Council%20Tax/Citizens%20Advice%20Council%20Tax%20Protocol%202017.pdf>? (Yes/No)
No.
Documents
This is Oxford City Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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