The Analysis Editor’s Letter


Getting the right outcomes at the door


Stephen Kiely Editor, CCRMagazine stephen@ccrmagazine.co.uk


Last month, the use of enforcement was again in the news, even as enforcement agents continued to work to drive up standards in their sector. The use of enforcement agents to collect


debts owed to local authorities in England and Wales has risen by 7% in two years, driven by a rise in the use of bailiffs to collect parking debts, according to new research by the Money Advice Trust. While the number of referrals for Council


Tax debt remained stable from two years earlier, the Money Advice Trust said the overall number of 1.4 million remained too high and around half of councils were continuing to increase their use of enforcement agents for Council Tax. However, 51% used fewer bailiffs than two


years ago – and the charity has found a modest net improvement in debt collection practices in that time. The charity’s new report, Stop The Knock 2019, found: l Local authorities in England and Wales passed 2.6 million debts to enforcement agents during 2018-2019, with a 7% like-for- like overall increase on 2016-2017. l Parking debts were passed to enforcement agents on nearly 1.1 million occasions – a 21% like-for-like increase on the same period in 2016-2017. l The number of Council Tax debts passed to enforcement agents remained stable for the first time – compared to a 10% growth in the preceding two-year period – but remains at more than 1.4 million referrals in 2018-2019. The research finds that councils have made some limited progress


Enforcement action is an option used by local authorities to recover over £500m (half a billion) of unpaid taxes and fines recovered each year, at no cost to the public bodies, which funds local services from adult social care and children’s services,


refuse collections and road repairs


to


practices, with more councils adopting best practice on affordability and vulnerability. l 64 councils have now signed up to the Citizens Advice/LGA Council Tax Protocol – up from 50 two years ago. A further 23 are considering doing this. Responding to the report, Russell


Hamblin-Boone, chief executive of the Civil Enforcement Association, said: “This is a broadly positive report that shows that the regulations in enforcement are working well. Welfare reforms and more rigorous debt recovery by local authorities have led to an increase in enforcement activity, but this remains a last resort. “Enforcement action is an option used by


local authorities to recover over £500m of unpaid taxes and fines recovered each year, at no cost to the public bodies, which funds local services from adult social care and children’s services, to refuse collections and road repairs.” Meanwhile, all members of the Civil


Enforcement Association have signed up to a new code, which involves a detailed compliance audit and review by a newly- formed independent panel, the Compliance, Adjudication and Review of Enforcement (CARE) Panel. The code builds on the existing industry


code and is a response to calls for better supervision of enforcement agents after an inquiry by MPs. CIVEA has taken proactive steps in line with the Justice Select


on improving debt-collection practices over the last two years, with the efforts of individual councils and campaigning from the debt- advice sector beginning to have an impact. l The proportion of councils which have reduced their enforcement- agent use over the last two years stands at 51% – up from 38% two years ago. l The research found a modest net improvement in debt collection


October 2019


Committee recommendations. These include: l Adoption of revised Code of Practice. l Establishment of independent Compliance, Adjudication and Review Panel. l Appointment of independent Code auditor. lMandatory use of Body Worn Video technology. l Referral of eligible complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, from 1 June. Enjoy the magazine!


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