We understand that there could be times when you struggle to make your council tax payments. Visit ‘Help with paying Council Tax’ for more information on the support available. If you need further advice please call our dedicated team on 0208 430 2000 to discuss your current situation.
Income from Council Tax helps us to provide many essential services for residents in Newham and it should be paid as shown on your bill.
If you do not pay your Council Tax we will take further recovery action as set out below.
What happens if you do not pay your Council Tax?
Reminders
A reminder will be issued when you fall behind with your instalments. This reminder will ask you to pay bring your payments up to date within seven days. If you make the payment by the date requested, no further action will be taken. A maximum of two reminders are issued in the financial year.
If you have received a reminder, make a payment of the overdue Council Tax now.
Final Notice
A final notice will be issued if you have fallen behind with your instalments for a third time, after 2 reminders have been previously issued.
At this stage your instalment facility is withdrawn and the full remaining balance for the year has to be paid.
If you have received a Final Notice:
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Summons
If you don't pay following a reminder or final notice, a summons will be sent to you. You'll be summoned to court for a hearing and £66.50 of costs will be added to your bill.
At the hearing the council will apply for a liability order, which gives additional powers for collecting the debt owed. Once the liability order is granted, further costs of £42.50 will be added to your bill.
If you have received a summons, you have the following payment options:
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Notice of Liability Order
The liability order is granted by the court and allows the Council to take further enforcement action to collect the remaining debt.
If a Liability Order has been granted, you have the following options:
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It is important you take one of the above steps to prevent further action being taken and more costs being added to your debt. If you take no action, we can
- apply to the Department and Work and Pensions (DWP) for direct deductions from Universal Credit, Income support, Job Seekers allowance or Pension Credit
- issue an order to your employer to make deductions from your wages
- instruct an enforcement agent (bailiff) to recover the debt. The Council will no longer discuss payment with you and all contact will then have to be with the enforcement agent
Enforcement Agent
If your account has been passed to an enforcement agent, they will send you a Notice of Enforcement which will include a financial statement form, asking for full payment or an acceptable payment arrangement.
At this point, you will incur further fees of £75.00. However, if a personal visit to your home is required in an effort to obtain payment then additional fees will be incurred.
Enforcement action may include:
- the removal of your possessions from your home. The goods will be sold to cover the costs of your debt owed
- bankruptcy proceedings
- applying a charging order against a property you own; the amount you owe will be paid when the property is sold
If you have received a Notice of Enforcement, contact the enforcement agent on the details provided on the notice to discuss repayment of your debt.
