Dealing with problems paying
Further information
What if I have problems paying my Council Tax bill ?
Contact the Council Tax Recovery Team immediately on 01508 533878 or e mail recovery@s-norfolk.gov.uk. As soon as you realise you have a problem paying your bill you should talk to us. We may be able to reschedule your payments or advise you of any reduction you may be entitled to.
You can also seek independent advice free of charge from the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). Or alternatively, contact Community Legal Service Debt & Welfare Benefits Advice on 01603 679612, or, South Norfolk Council Welfare Rights/ Debt Advisor, Gill Abbott on 01508 533617.
What if I don’t pay ?
If you fail to pay a Council Tax instalment a reminder notice will be sent to you giving you 7 days to bring your account up to date. If you pay within this time then your instalments will continue . If you ignore the reminder then a summons will be issued.
If you fail to pay a further instalment by the due dates shown on your bill any time throughout the financial year you will receive a second reminder, again if you continue as required your instalments will continue. If you ignore the reminder then a summons will be issued.
If you fall into arrears for a third time you will receive a final notice, a Cancellation Notice. This notice states that you need to pay the remaining balance outstanding for the year or a summons will be issued.
We can only issue a maximum of three reminders, including the Cancellation Notice, within each financial year.
What Happens If I Receive a Summons?
Court costs of £40 will be added to the amount owed if we have to issue a summons.
- If you do not pay the balance of the summons including the summons costs, currently £40, before the Court date we will apply to the Norwich Magistrates Court for a Liability Order, this will mean you have to pay an additional £20 costs.
What powers does a Liability Order give the Council?
If the Norwich Magistrates Courts grants a Liability Order we can demand certain information from you about your employment & earnings to help us to decide which is the best way to recover the debt. We will send you a Liability Order Questionnaire – please complete and return this to us without delay, as this Order gives the Council the power to collect the balance in various ways:
- Attachment to Benefit: we are able to request a statutory deduction, currently £3.25 per week, if you are in receipt of certain benefits, these include Job Seekers Allowance, Income Support, Employment Support Allowance, Pension Guarantee Credit.
- Attachment to Earnings: if you are working we can apply directly to your employers for deductions from your wages or salary. This means that your employer will have to make deductions either weekly or monthly (wages or salary) based on your take home pay after Income Tax , National Insurance & any Pension Contribution has been deducted. This deduction will be sent to us until your debt has been paid in full, or your leave their employment. Your employer is also entitled to deduct a further £1 from you for each deduction they have to make to help meet their costs in making these deductions.
- Your debt can be passed to the Council’s bailiffs for collection , they will add their costs to the amount owed to the Council. These costs can be quite considerable & are laid down in legislation. To avoid your debt being passed to the bailiffs contact us without delay. The bailiff has power to remove goods in certain circumstances to clear the debt.
- We can also apply to the Court for a petition for your bankruptcy, place a Charging Order on your property or make an application for a summons for your Committal to prison, you will then be required to attend the Norwich Magistrates Court for a means enquiry & you may receive a suspended prison sentence.
It’s never too late!
If you are experiencing difficulties in making payments at any time please do contact us on 01508 533878 or email recovery@s-norfolk.gov.uk. We will try and come to a sensible payment arrangement with you to suit your circumstances. The earlier you contact us the sooner we can help you and by contacting us when you first experience problems we can ensure that no additional costs are incurred.
Related pages on this website
Contact us
| web: | online enquiry form |
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| email: | recovery@s-norfolk.gov.uk |
| freephone: | 0808 178 7141 |
| telephone: | 01508 533878 |
| minicom/textphone: | 01508 533622 |
| address: | South Norfolk Council South Norfolk House Swan Lane Long Stratton Norwich NR15 2XE |
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