Can You Write Off Your West Lancashire Borough Council Debt

Council tax in West Lancashire should be treated as a 'priority debt' since there are grave repercussions if you fail to pay. In case you struggle to pay your council tax, you can contact the local authority and request a workable payment plan.

One of the consequences of failing to pay your West Lancashire Borough council debt is debt collection. Local authorities are mandated to collect council debt, and they typically act quickly if you miss payments. The authorities can be bailiffs—or sheriffs in Scotland—visiting your home to collect tax. This is the reason council tax is treated as a priority debt.

DoNotPay can help you negotiate council debt payment in West Lancashire and avoid bailiffs coming to collect. Read further to understand how to deal with West Lancashire Borough council debt.

What to Do if You Can’t Pay Your West Lancashire Borough Council Debt

If you fall behind with your council tax, you risk the local authority forcing you to make full payments at once. Ensure you act quickly to get back on payments if you want to avoid stringent measures by the local authority for your West Lancashire Borough Council Debt.

Get Your Payment Plan

1. Check your monthly budget to see if you can save money to help you pay your council debt
2. Contact the council to check if they can agree to a payment plan
3. Confirm if you are entitled to tax reduction or a reduced bill.

You can reach West Lancashire Borough Council to pay off your debt through

Can Council Debt Arrears Be Written Off?

According to Section 13A (1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992, councils reserve the power to write off council arrears and taxes. This discretionary relief is applicable if your home is uninhabitable due to flood or fire damage. You can also use it in severe hardship or if you suffer from extreme physical or mental conditions.

To apply for a write-off through Section 13A, write to the council to request discretionary relief while quoting the 1992 ordinance. Attach evidence that you can't afford to pay. Councils are required to consider discretionary relief applications. Therefore, you can make a complaint if the council fails to consider your application.

What Happens If You Miss Council Tax (Debt) Payments?

The council will send you a reminder letter 14 days after missing your payments. By paying within seven days of the letter, you can proceed to pay the amount in instalments. Failure to do so, the local authority will require you to pay the whole amount for the entire year. The council will give you seven days to pay the full figure, failure to which you will receive a final notice to pay.

Failure to pay within seven days of this final notice, you risk a court proceeding. The council issues a court summon for the pending amount. You will have to pay the extra court fees. Therefore, if you want to avoid a court proceeding, you will have to pay the amount fully before the court date deadline.

The local council will request the court to issue a liability order so that the court-appointed debt collectors can receive appropriate instructions. The court-appointed debt collectors will be instructed to take legal action to recover the money owed to the West Lancashire Borough Council.

If you aren't satisfied with the council's services or decisions, you can file a complaint with the ombudsman services.

• England- Local government ombudsman
• Scotland- Scottish Public Service Ombudsman
• Wales- public service ombudsman for Wales.

Get DoNotPay's Help with Your West Lancashire Borough Council Debt

If you've missed council tax payments and you don't want the local authorities knocking at your door, DoNotPay can help you negotiate payments.

Here’s how to get started.

1. Search “debt collection” on DoNotPay.

2. Answer a series of questions about the debt collectors, including when you were contacted and how you were contacted, so we can determine if they have violated any debt collection laws.

3. Decide which course of action you want to take based on our guidance, such as filing a debt verification request, demanding for the collectors to stop contacting you, or reporting them to a professional trade association.

DoNotPay can help you manage your debt negotiations and payments to avoid extreme debt recovery. Sign up with DoNotPay to help you handle your West Lancashire Borough council debt.

DoNotPay can Provide Several Debt Help Solutions

If you feel overwhelmed by debt and are constantly pressurized by debt collectors, DoNotPay can help you deal with such issues. Besides helping you with your West Lancashire Borough council debt, DoNotPay can also assist you in

• Moorcroft debt recovery
• Lowell Financials debt recovery
• DWP debt management
• Marston Group Holdings debt recovery
• Advantis debt collection
• Provident loans refund
• Amigo loans refund

How Else Can DoNotPay Help?

DoNotPay is an expert and experienced Robo lawyer providing a multitude of services in the UK. Providing debt help isn't the only thing DoNotPay can assist you with. DoNotPay can also help you to

• Increase your credit limit
• Help with excess bills
• Sue in a small claims court
• Cancel subscriptions and services
• File complaints
• Find missing money
• Sign up for free trials risk-free
• Pay bills online.

With you DoNotPay, you can negotiate even the toughest overwhelming debts and keep debt collectors away from you. Reach out to us to help you manage your West Lancashire Borough Council debt effectively without extreme consequences.