What to do if you can't pay your Council Tax
Find out how we can help if you're having trouble paying your Council Tax, and what happens if you don't pay.
Contact us
Contact us as soon as possible if you're struggling to pay your Council Tax.
We can spread your payments over 12 months instead of the usual 10 to reduce the amount you need to pay each month.
You should also check if you can get:
- Council Tax discounts, for example if you live by yourself or if you have a disability
- Council Tax Reduction if you have a low income or you're on benefits, including Universal Credit
If you're already getting a Council Tax Reduction, you can apply for extra help from our discretionary payments.
You can also request financial help and other support for yourself or someone else at our Community Hub.
Council Tax reminders
We'll send you a Council Tax reminder if we don't receive a payment by the due date shown on your bill. You'll need to pay the money you owe within 7 days, and make any future payments on time.
If you get a Council Tax reminder, contact us immediately so we can help you manage your payments.
Court summons
If you get a court summons because you haven't paid your Council Tax, we'll add the court costs to your Council Tax bill.
To avoid further costs, you'll need to set up a Direct Debit instalment plan before the court date.
You should also contact us if you don't think you're the person who should pay, or if you think you've already paid.
Further action
If you still don't pay your Council Tax or contact us before your court date, we may:
- take money from your earnings from your employer
- take money from any benefits you get
If there's no other way to recover your debt, we can also:
- send Enforcement Agents (bailiffs) to take items from your home
- put a charging order on your property
- open bankruptcy proceedings
- apply for your committal to prison
You can find more about what happens if you don't pay your Council Tax on GOV.UK.