News / Boot Out Bailiffs
Bristol City Council could become second in the UK to boot out bailiffs
Thousands in Bristol have faced fear and distress caused by ‘hired muscle’ debt collectors turning up on their doorstep to collect unpaid council taxes.
But the practise, which has been branded “unacceptable, unnecessary and medieval” is set to be phased out by Bristol City Council, which will instead be piloting an ethical debt collection approach.
This follows a campaign by media co-operative The Bristol Cable calling on mayor Marvin Rees and his Labour administration to “boot out bailiffs” and bring an end to the use of unaccountable private enforcement firms.
is needed now More than ever
Many people have bravely spoken out about the culture of intimidation and fear cultivated by a practise that is symbolic of deep-rooted problems and divides across the city, and one that can lead to spiralling debt and worse.
Craig Cheney
Craig Cheney, deputy mayor and cabinet member for finance, spoke candidly about his own childhood experiences of “hiding behind the curtains when the bailiffs arrived” in a BBC interview when he announced the decision to phase out the use of hired muscle.
“The use of enforcement agents to collect unpaid bills is an imperfect system that puts a huge amount of, often unfair, pressure on those who have money struggles,” he told Bristol24/7.
“As a child, my family struggled with money problems that were never helped by the extra pressures put on us by the additional costs that come with enforcement action.
“We are looking at ways in which we can support those who have these troubles by signposting them to advice and information services early. We are already someway along that journey and have seen our levels of debt collection rise whilst our use of enforcement agents has decreased.
“Now we want to explore how we take those next steps to ensure the use of agents is kept as an absolute last resort in the recovery of council debt. This is all part of our vision for Bristol to be a city of hope and aspiration, where everyone can share in our success regardless of their difficulties.”
The council will pilot an approach similar to that adopted by the London council of Hammersmith and Fulham, which has proved successful not only in alleviating the stress on families in debt, and knock-on effects, but also in recovering unpaid council taxes.
Welcoming the breakthrough, Adam Cantwell-Corn, co-founder of The Bristol Cable, said there is still work to be done.
“Good on councillor Craig Cheney and mayor Marvin Rees for hearing these calls from Cable members, councillors and the brave people who came forward to share their stories of this unacceptable and unnecessary medieval practice,” he said.
“As the details and the full extent of the pilot are still to be worked out, the Cable will be working hard to make sure there is accountability and transparency along every step of the way. Let’s hope Bristol City Council soon becomes the second council in the whole of the UK to drop bailiffs altogether.”
Read more: While Bristol’s economy booms, the gap between rich and poor widens
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