Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Alison McGovern and Luke Charters

Monday 13th April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Luke Charters (York Outer) (Lab)]

9. What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of council tax debt collection practices on households in financial difficulty.

[The Minister for Local Government and Homelessness (Alison McGovern)]

Because of the inconsistent and disproportionate practices observed, the Government have consulted on modernising and improving the administration of council tax, including its collection, and we will publish our response shortly.

[Mr Charters]

Working with the charity StepChange, we have seen that some councils are too often moving too quickly towards bailiff enforcement action. Would the Minister consider issuing best practice to councils to ensure that vulnerable households are supported instead of too often being pushed into further financial misery by overly aggressive enforcement action?

[Alison McGovern]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue on the Floor of the House and thank StepChange, through him, for its work. As I mentioned, we will have more to say in this area shortly, but as he will know, the Ministry of Justice is also involved in the issues that he mentioned, so I will work with Ministers in that Department, too.