What happens if I don't pay my Council Tax?

You will get a reminder notice if you miss an instalment, giving you seven days to pay. If you don’t pay within seven days, you’ll lose the right to pay by instalments and so have to pay the full amount instead.

A second reminder notice will be sent to you if you miss another instalment.

If you miss an instalment for a third time, you will get a final notice and you will have to pay the full Council Tax amount.

You will only get a maximum of two reminder notices and one final notice issued in a financial year - this runs from April 1 to March 31 of the next year.

If you do not pay the full amount demanded, we will apply to the local Magistrates' Court for a summons to be issued against you. The cost of this will be added to your bill.

The summons will tell you the date of the court hearing and the amount of unpaid Council Tax, plus the additional costs.

If you pay the full amount of the summons, including costs, before the hearing date, you do not have to attend court and the case against you will be withdrawn.

If you make a payment arrangement prior to the court hearing you do not need to attend court, however the Magistrates' Court will be asked to grant a Liability Order to secure the debt.

Provided you keep to the payment arrangement no further recovery action is taken.

If you do not pay the full amount due on your summons, we will request a Liability Order at the court hearing.

The liability order gives the council powers to recover the outstanding debt using the methods listed below:

• Attachment of Earnings Order
• Attachment of Benefit
• The use of an Enforcement Agent
• Bankruptcy proceedings
• Place a charging order on your property

After the court hearing, you will get a Notice of Liability Order advising that if you do not make an arrangement with the council within 14 days, the debt will be passed to an Enforcement Agency for collection. The notice will also advise you of the additional costs that will be incurred if this happens.

The notice also includes a questionnaire for you to complete to enable the council to take a deduction from your wages or your Income Support/Job Seeker’s Allowance/Employment Support Allowance if applicable.

Please do not delay in making a payment arrangement or returning the form with your employment or benefit details.

View the full Council Tax Debt Recovery Policy.

We add fees because it costs us to take legal action to recover debts. These costs are added to your Council Tax or Business Rates debt, as appropriate. We then recover them together with your original debt.

The costs we charge are made up of payments we have to make to either the Magistrates Courts or County Courts, and what it costs us to carry out the recovery work.

External companies such as Enforcement Agents charge their own costs, which are payable to them. Enforcement Agents costs are set in regulations.

Costs breakdown