Council tax recovery

[WOOD73]

I am currently paying a liability order for last years council tax to a bailiff firm, we were paying £15 per week, in july I became unemployed and fell into arrears. I contacted them and was told the only way to stop my stuff being taken was to pay them £140 which I couldnt, so they said I could pay a minimum of $70 and increase payments to £25 per week, I had no choice but to accept.

I have just received a court notice for an arrears for this year of £100ish
I phoned the council to try and explain and ask them to help deal with the bailiffs, to reduce the payments to them but they refused and said they would accept £5 per week minimum of the new bill but it would still go to court. I am living on £175 a week and paid the £70 with the kids child benefit.
What can be done to reduce the bailiffs payments in order to pay the council this new bill, so it doesnt get sent to the bailiffs?

[Conniff]

Are you still unemployed?
Are you living alone?
Are you receiving benefits?

[WOOD73]

yes I am still unemployed
No I'm married with 2 kids
and I have been living off tax credits since finishing work, in the hope of moving into something new fairly quickly, but I have today submitted a claim for jsa as things arent going quite to plan.

[WOOD73]

I have submitted an official complaint to the council, regarding their refusal to help with the bailiffs, as in my opinion if they instruct a company to act on their behalf then they should oversee the steps being taken.
This legalised robbery should be stopped, we are being penalised for the councils shortcomings.
rant over

[tomtubby]

I normally only post in the bailiff section and was unaware that this section existed!!!

The local authority are wholly responsible for all actions of their agents and I always find that the council are more than happy to pass the debt.....and responsibility for the account to the bailiff. If you are unhappy with the councils handling of their bailiffs, it is always worthwhile threatening to take a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman.

It is ALWAYS the case that you should never allow a bailiff to come into your home and to ensure that you do not have a car outside of your property that a bailiff can levy upon.

	The Financial Ombudsman Service For the most part, don't bother. The Ombudsman is an industry arranged service which is under-resourced, takes too long, lacks clear transparency. You have no idea what evidence the FOS has received from the bank or how your complain has really been handled. The FOS is the preferred complaints route for the banking industry. The county court is to be preferred by consumers for its speed, openness, the quality of its awards and also because it will award 8% interest on top of any damages won by you. The Ombudsman should normally be used to solving little technical difficulties or customer service problems which you have expereinced with your bank.

[WOOD73]

the council sent me a income and expenditure form 'so they may review payments to the bailiffs'
I filled this in and returned it, now I have to say I am now receiveing jsa, and only put essential expenses down, but today received an e-mail asking me to prove my expenses! I e-mailed back with a bit of disbelief, and asked if they would like shopping receipts, and to phone me as I did not know what they wanted.
10 mins later the council tax manager phoned, she asked for proof of my wifes income, so I told her my wife dosent have an income, and she said they needed proof, how can you prove that you dont have something?
then she asked if I was unemployed, although this was all on the form, I told her I was and she said she will ring back after she looks into benefit attachment.
I hope they will take it back from the bailiff and take some money out of my jsa, but I'm not sure how likely this is as the jsa people will only allow attachments of £2.50 per week or something like that, and not £25 as the bailiffs are demanding.
will post when/if she phones back.

[WOOD73]

received an email now informing me she has instructed the bailiffs (excel) to accept payments of £25 per month instead of £25 per week, so a result.
but it begs the question why couldnt the first person I spoke to have helped somehow, why did it need to go down the complaint route, which needlessly took weeks of my paying £25 and having to go without luxuries over xmas, it makes me wonder if is all just to keep someone in a job.