Martin Lewis campaign to stop 'grotesque' council tax collection
Martin Lewis heads a new campaign to push for a change in council tax debt collection policy, ITV News' Consumer Editor Chris Choi reports
New research provided to ITV News has highlighted the impact of council tax debt collection methods.
The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, a charity founded by Martin Lewis, published figures that reveal a daunting pathway from debt to despair for many people.
Mr Lewis, known to millions through his money saving TV and radio appearances, is heading the new campaign to push for a change of policy.
At present, anyone missing a single instalment can be required to pay their full annual council tax bill, which is typically just over £1,600.
For the majority of households this would be a terror, but for those with mental health problems, things can spiral into far more than a financial meltdown.
Mr Lewis told us: “Council tax collection practices are so aggressive they’d make the banks blush.
"The grotesque process couldn’t have been designed better to accelerate distress for people in council tax debt”
The new research shows that around 10% of people with mental health problems are behind with council tax.
That’s compared with around 4% of the general population.
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The data found 73% of people visited by bailiffs have had a mental health problem - and 91% of those behind with payments could not afford to pay £1000.
We put these points to a spokesperson for local councils, Cllr Peter Marlands of the Local Government Association, who said: “Where councils can help and do help is where somebody has missed council tax they can collect it in a considerate way“.
Local authorities say they work hard to support the vulnerable but are under a duty to collect tax.
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