The extent of bailiff use by Halton Borough Council to recoup debts has been revealed following a Freedom of Information request.

Figures collated by the National Debtline charity and the Centre for Social Justice think tank showed the authority referred 2,625 debts to bailiffs in 2022/23 – a 30 per cent fall on pre-pandemic levels in 2018/19.

These included 2,472 council tax referrals,  132 for unpaid business rates and 21 for ‘other debt types'.

Across England and Wales, 2.71m debts were referred to bailiffs by councils during 2022/23 – broadly unchanged on pre-pandemic levels of 2.65 million in 2018/19.

The findings, based on Freedom of Information requests sent to local authorities, form part of wider research into council tax debt and collection practices published by the Centre for Social Justice, which revealed that 1.3m households fell behind on their council tax bill in 2022/23.

Bailiffs, known officially as enforcement agents, have the right to visit a property and can remove and sell goods to repay certain debts, including council tax arrears, parking penalty charge notices and other debts.

National Debtline is calling for national changes from the Government to help reduce and reform bailiff action, including through new ring-fenced funding for councils to provide 100 per cent Council Tax Support schemes for those on the lowest incomes.

Steve Vaid, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust, the charity that runs National Debtline, said: "Local authorities remain under significant financial pressure and council tax plays a crucial role in funding vital local services.

"Facing bailiff action, however, can be a distressing experience and risks pushing people already struggling into deeper financial difficulty. Bailiffs should only ever be used as a last resort."

A Halton Council spokeswoman, said: "The council does not use such methods lightly - they are only used when all other avenues have been fully explored, and our numbers have decreased over recent years. We always encourage people to talk to us first if they are having difficulty meeting their bills - we have our own money advice and welfare advice staff available."

She added: "However, council funding is under huge pressure and the council has a legal duty to collect what is owed to it, as this money is used to fund vital public services, and this is more critical than ever."

The Money Advice Trust is a charity which helps people across the UK tackle their debts and manage their money. The Trust’s main activities are providing free advice through National Debtline and Business Debtline.

National Debtline can be contacted on 0808 808 4000 or at www.nationaldebtline.org