BAILIFFS have been called in to collect nearly £2m in unpaid council tax arrears.

Last year £1,806,000 was collected from people who had not paid their regular council tax bill.

A total of 7714 cases were dealt with by using the bailiffs.

Wiltshire Council also sent round the enforcement officers to business owners on 153 occasions, resulting in £153k picked up by the enforcement agents.

A further 188 housing benefit arrears was sent to enforcement agents and £12,582 was collected in 2018.

There has been a six per cent rise in the number of times bailiffs were used by the local authority compared to two years ago.

However the head of the council said that sending in the bailiffs is a last resort to ensure vital services can keep going.

Repayment plans are regularly put in place for people to help manage their finances and avoid enforcement officers knocking on their door.

Cllr Philip Whitehead, Wiltshire Council Leader said: “We encourage people to come to us if they have difficulties paying their council tax.

"We can offer tailored repayment plans which fit their circumstances and can signpost them to local and national organisations who may provide debt advice.

"We won’t judge, we just want to help.

“Sometimes despite all our efforts, households choose not to engage with us and we have to take further action.

"If we don’t follow up on those who don’t pay their council tax then we are not being fair to those who do.

"We all have to contribute to ensure our vital services can keep going.

"Like all local authorities we only use enforcement agents when we have exhausted all other options.

"We also worked with Citizens Advice to develop a protocol for enforcement agents to ensure everyone is treated fairly. Our agents also offer valuable insights which may trigger a range of support the household may need in the future.”

The council signposts people who owe money to free debt advice, and has a formal policy for vulnerable residents. However it has not signed up to the Citizen’s Advice council Tax Protocol to prevent people from getting into debt.

Debt charity The Money Advice Trust says bailiffs should only be used as a last resort, but there has been a seven per cent spike nationally in the number of times bailiffs were called out.

Joanna Elson, chief executive of the charity, said: “Bailiff action is harmful to people in debt, and these findings should concern us all.

“Reforming the law around bailiff action itself is vital if we are to protect people from harm. Of equal importance, however, is reducing the number of debts that are being passed to bailiffs in the first place.

“Bailiff action should only ever be used as a last resort, and can be avoided by early intervention, providing free debt advice, and agreeing affordable repayment arrangements.

“We will continue to work constructively with councils to help them reduce their bailiff use, and to impress upon central government the urgent need for the national policy changes that are required to quicken the pace of change.”

The Local Government Association argued that councils “have a duty to their residents” to collect unpaid debts, but said it was working with Citizens Advice to develop fairer recovery and enforcement policies, including exemptions for vulnerable families.

Richard Watts, chairman of the LGA’s resources board, said: “We realise that times are tough, and councils do their best to protect those affected the most, whether through introducing hardship funds, or taking a sympathetic and constructive approach to the way we collect unpaid tax.

“Anyone having trouble paying their council bills should get in touch with their local authority for financial help and advice.”