Stockport Council has signed up to a protocol which aims to ensure 'fair and effective debt collection'.

The Citizens Advice Council Tax Protocol is described as a set of 'good practice' rules, which seek to make collection of council tax - the most common debt issue nationally - less stressful for residents. 

Some of the provisions include: 

• Increasing co-operation between debt enforcement agencies and local authorities: this includes regular meetings to develop - among other things - "a fair collection and enforcement policy".
• Communication with residents: The aim here is to improve the information supplied to taxpayer - on the billing process, how to get support, and debt advice. 
• Offering more flexible payment options: this could include different payment dates, spreading the cost, or perhaps different payment amounts. 
• Avoiding escalating debt: As the protocol itself describes: "Greater effort should be made at or before the Tribunal Courts and Enforcement Act's compliance stage, including debt and money advice referrals and to assess whether vulnerability or hardship applies, so as to avoid escalating a debt."

Read the full protocol HERE.

Local authorities such as Stockport Council sign up to the protocol voluntarily (Image - Alasdair Perry)

Councillor Jilly Julian, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources at Stockport Council, said: "We are always looking for ways to help and support our residents who are finding it difficult to pay their Council Tax - signing up to the Citizens Advice Council Tax Protocol is another step in cementing and demonstrating our good practice in this area.

"There are lots of reasons why people may struggle to pay their council tax bills - this protocol is all about how we work with people to support them so that they can pay their bills without getting into further financial difficulties."

Similarly, Cllr Mark Hunter, leader of Stockport Council, said he was pleased to sign up to the protocol. 

"It is especially important we talk to people who are struggling with payments at an early stage", he said.

The provisions of the Citizens Advice Council Tax Protocol aim to make paying council tax less stressful for residents, and less likely to lead to debt (Image - Alexander Greensmith)

"We only ever take enforcement action as a very last resort and always encourage residents to make contact with us if they are facing financial difficulties in paying bills raised by the Council so we can offer appropriate advice and practical help.

"We know dealing with financial matters can be a very difficult time for many, and the Council - along with our enforcement agency Jacobs - make every effort in all of our recovery correspondence to make residents aware of the support available to them."

Stockport MP Navendu Mishra was also supportive of the move, having raised the issue of council tax collection in Parliament previously.

He said: "I very much welcome the recent decision by Stockport Council to adopt the Citizens Advice Council Tax Protocol [...] which commits local authorities to following a good practice guide when collecting council tax. I have been calling on Stockport Council to follow in the footsteps of other local authorities and sign up to the [protocol] for almost two years.

"Whilst there is no evidence suggesting that the use of bailiffs to recover council tax debts increases revenues, it is abundantly clear that the harsh, heavy-handed approach and extortionate additional fees imposed by enforcement agencies serve to exacerbate the debts and distress of vulnerable people."

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