Use of bailiffs up by 52% in Barnet

Yesterday, The Guardian ran a poll on Council's usage of bailiffs. Coincidentally I had just received an answer to my FOI request on the usage of bailiffs to collect unpaid council tax and I was shocked at the results.

Re Council Tax	2010/11	2011/12	2012/13
Number of cases passed to bailiffs for unpaid council tax	6905	6637	10102

I was particularly surprised at the massive 52% jump in 2012/13 especially as this is before the new rules concerning bedroom tax and the requirement for benefit claimants to make an 8.5% contribution to their Council Tax kicked in.

If I were Richard Cornelius I would be very worried that so many cases are being referred to bailiffs and what will happen next year when Capita will be in charge of Council tax collection especially as they own a firm of bailiffs, Equita. I would also suggest reading a very interesting article from the Big Issue about the use of bailiffs and their charges.