REDDITCH Borough Council is owed £11.1million in unpaid council tax bills, the highest in the county, new data has revealed.
The council tax arrears figures have been released by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Goverment and form part of a national total which has now hit £6.6billion.
Charity National Debtline suggests, as council budgets have become more stretched, local authorities are increasingly reliant on council tax revenue to fund essential services, including planning applications, parks and rubbish collections.
However, it believes this has also led to higher bills overall, creating a vicious cycle for many people already struggling to pay.
Recent Money Advice Trust research also reveals as of March 2025, 2.2million people in England (five per cent) were behind on their council tax bill, suggesting many more people could be struggling with council tax arrears and had not yet sought help.
National Debtline is now calling for improved collection practices, as well as greater investment in council tax support schemes to prevent people falling behind to begin with.
Steve Vaid, chief executive at Money Advice Trust, which runs the National Debtline, said: “Unless changes are made at a policy level, arrears are likely to keep climbing.”
Escalation
Current rules mean households can become liable for their full annual council tax bill if they miss one payment, which often results in a quick escalation to bailiff action.
Last week, the Government set out proposals to extend this period, so people had more time to engage and seek support – something National Debtline welcomed, after years of campaigning for this change.
The charity said the move would help reduce financial hardship, bring down arrears and make a big difference to households struggling to keep up with their bills.
A Redditch Borough Council spokesperson said: “The council is committed to taking all appropriate actions to collect and enforce the payment of council tax.
“The arrears figures reported represent the cumulative total of unpaid council tax since its introduction in 1993.
“To date, the council has successfully collected over 99 per cent of the council tax billed during this period.
“However, there are instances where recovery is not possible.
“The council continues to monitor and review its collection processes to ensure fairness, efficiency, and support for those in genuine need.”
They added council taxpayers struggling to make payments should contact the authority.
Visit: redditchbc.gov.uk and search for ‘Council tax support’ for more information on the help available.
