Require local authorities to exhaust alternatives before using enforcement agents for council tax arrears.
The use of enforcement agents to collect unpaid council tax should always be a last resort, so we were pleased to hear that many councils and debt collectors engage with residents to collect arrears without needing to take enforcement action, and that some have a policy of never using agents …
Government response. The government's response outlines existing collection processes and councils' flexibility but does not commit to directing local authorities on the careful consideration or exhaustion of alternative methods before using enforcement agents, particularly for those receiving council tax support.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government