Council told to cut reliance on bailiffs

OLDHAM Council passed 2,406 debts to bailiffs in the past 12 months - and is still chasing council tax arrears of over £20 million.

Oldham is 269th out of 326 for bailiff use by councils, and ended the 2014-15 year with £20.6million in unpaid council tax arrears. The 2,406 bailiff referrals were a decrease of 44 per cent from two years ago.

Experts at National Debtline welcomed the fall, but said the council needs to do more to decrease its reliance on bailiffs.

The charity is calling for bailiffs, now known legally as enforcement agents, to be used only as a last resort, with a greater focus on preventative work and early detection and intervention when residents and businesses fall behind.

Councillor Abdul Jabbar, Cabinet member for finance and HR, said: “Oldham Council uses external enforcement agents far less than most local authorities.”