Are you struggling to pay your council tax bill?

Whatever you do, don't leave it.

Council tax is a priority debt, meaning that it is urgent that you deal with it because the consequences of not paying a priority debt can be more serious than for other debts such as credit cards (not that I'm suggesting you ignore those either!). Council tax arrears mean that if you don't pay them, a court can use bailiffs to take your goods. If, after this, you still have unpaid arrears, you can be sent to prison.

With the abolition of council tax benefit which meant that those on very low incomes were not required to pay and the introduction of council tax reduction, many people are are facing council tax bills for the first time. Many people in other parts of the country are ending up in court.

If you are faced with difficulties, the Citizen's Advice Bureau has a free online Advice guide.

Attached below as a pdf is a fact sheet from Citizen's Advice downloaded today with detailed advice on what to do if you are in arrears (remember rules change fast so if you're reading this at a later date check the CitA website for the latest version).