"When Mike Barley almost died in a motorbike crash on the way home from work, he did not think his biggest worry during recovery would be the council tax bill he had been sent that same day. But after he missed a payment reminder letter while in hospital, his debts rocketed out of control. Mr Barley, 26, from Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, had a "well-paid" job as a software developer, and owned his own home, but the accident in March 2021 put him in hospital for a month with broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and severe injuries to his arms and legs."
"Mr Barley's council acted in line with the usual process for unpaid council tax in England. If you do not pay your monthly bill after three weeks, or you have three late payments, councils can demand the remainder of the year's bill in full, and can send in bailiffs to collect the debt. Charities have long claimed the method of council tax debt enforcement in England punishes people who are genuinely struggling to pay - while the government says it is taking action against "archaic and aggressive" practices."
Mike Barley suffered a severe motorbike crash in March 2021 that left him in hospital for a month with broken ribs, a collapsed lung and major arm and leg injuries. He missed a council tax instalment and a reminder while incapacitated and was on sick pay of £90 a week. After telling the council he could not pay, he received a payment plan with two months of reduced payments and then a demand for roughly £1,000 covering the rest of the year. Continued reminders led to his case being passed to bailiffs, who sent a "threatening letter". Charities argue enforcement methods punish those genuinely struggling while the government says it is addressing "archaic and aggressive" practices.
Read at BBC News
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