Dundee City Council have begun employing debt collectors to recover council tax arrears from more than 5,000 of residents.

It’s common for councils across the UK to use debt collectors but national tax payers watchdog, TaxPayers’ Alliance, believe Dundontians are paying too much.

A Dundee City Council spokeswomen said,

“I can confirm that debt collectors are handling more than 5,000 cases for us.

“We try to encourage as many people as possible to pay by making it easy for them to do so, for example by direct debit or by paying online.

Research by the Evening Telegraph found the average council tax arrears in Dundee is £436.88, with 5,323 households being pursued.

A Taxpayers Alliance spokesman said Dundee City Council could do more to help people:

“Everybody must pay what they owe, but Dundee City Council must do everything it can to make it easier for people to pay.

“That means being flexible about how people pay, being responsive to the needs of certain groups who may not be able to use the internet and, above all, by cutting council tax so that ratepayers can more easily afford to pay.”

Dealing with Council Tax Debt Collectors

We speak to people throughout the UK on a daily basis who have problems dealing with their council and / or debt collectors they employ.

One complaint a lot of our clients have with their council is the lack of time given to resolve their arrears before being passed to a debt collection company.

The people we advise are often scared by the thought of debt collectors entering their property and taking their belongings.

There are some important things people should do we dealing with council tax arrears and debt collectors:

  • Negotiate: The first step should be to try and negotiate with the council before it gets to the debt collection stage. If the council tax arrears are passed to a debt collection agency then speak to them quickly and try to set an arrangement.
  • Entering Property: If a debt collector does visit your property never open the door or give permission for them the enter. You can speak to them through the door but many collectors won’t accept this.
  • Never Ignore the Debt: Debt collectors can charge expensive fees and charges so ignoring the debt will make it harder to repay. if you are scared to speak to the debt collectors contact Debt Support Trust on 0800 085 0226.