Flintshire and Wrexham councils sent bailiffs to collect thousands more debts last year than two years previously, a new report reveals.

The Money Advice Trust says bailiffs should only be called in as a last resort, and is urging the Government to implement a national strategy to reduce their use across England and Wales.

Freedom of Information requests by the Money Advice Trust, which operates the National Debtline, show that Flintshire Council sent 2,922 debts to bailiffs in 2018-19.

That’s 390 more than in 2016-17 – a rise of 15 per cent.

Freedom of Information requests show that Wrexham Council referred 3,736 debts to bailiffs in 2018-19. That's 513 more than two years earlier – a rise of 16 per cent.

Bailiffs, also known as enforcement agents, visit properties to remove and sell goods for the repayment of certain debts, including council tax arrears, parking notices and others owed to the council.

The Money Advice Trust’s Stop the Knock 2019 report revealed a 7 per cent increase in bailiff use across England and Wales over the last two years, with 2.6 million cases in 2018-19 – driven by a 21 per cent rise in the number of parking debts referred.

Joanna Elson, chief executive of the charity, said: “Bailiff action is harmful to people in debt, and these findings should concern us all. Reforming the law around bailiff action itself is vital if we are to protect people from harm. Of equal importance, however, is reducing the number of debts that are being passed to bailiffs in the first place.

“Bailiff action should only ever be used as a last resort, and can be avoided by early intervention, providing free debt advice, and agreeing affordable repayment arrangements.

“We will continue to work constructively with councils to help them reduce their bailiff use, and to impress upon central government the urgent need for the national policy changes that are required to quicken the pace of change.”

The Money Advice Trust’s research also looked at how local authorities manage debt collection, and found that 99 per cent of councils, including Flintshire Council, point residents in financial difficulty in the direction of free debt advice.

The council does not employ the Standard Financial Statement, a tool designed by debt and credit experts to objectively assess the financial situation of individuals.

The charity also advises local authorities to have official strategies to support people from at-risk or low-income groups who are in debt - and Flintshire Council does have a formal policy in place for vulnerable residents.

Further debt collection practices mentioned in the report include exempting recipients of Council Tax Support from bailiff action, and signing the Citizens’ Advice Council Tax Protocol, which aims to prevent people from getting into debt.

The Local Government Association argued that councils “have a duty to their residents” to collect unpaid debts, but said it was working with Citizens Advice to develop fairer recovery and enforcement policies, including exemptions for vulnerable families.

Richard Watts, chairman of the LGA’s resources board, said: “We realise that times are tough, and councils do their best to protect those affected the most, whether through introducing hardship funds, or taking a sympathetic and constructive approach to the way we collect unpaid tax.

“Anyone having trouble paying their council bills should get in touch with their local authority for financial help and advice.”

Gareth Owens, Flintshire Council’s chief officer for governance said: “The council needs to collect all income on time to fund the wide range of local services that residents rely on, including the rising costs of social care and education.

“However, on occasion, not all residents pay on time and it sometimes becomes necessary to take legal action through the courts to recover unpaid debts owed to the council, including council tax, business rates, parking fines and commercial rents.

“The council is one of few local authorities in the UK that no longer relies on external enforcement agents to collect money on our behalf and we operate with an in-house debt enforcement team to collect debts more sympathetically.

“The council uses debt enforcement agents as a last resort and most cases are resolved amicably without the need for doorstep visits. Our in-house teams will always make prior contact by telephone and sending a series of letters before we consider home visits.

“The council continues to work with residents by making it easier for residents to pay their bills and to access our services. We do recognise that some households struggle to pay and would urge anyone who is finding it difficult to pay to always make early contact with the council on 01352 704848 or by visiting our website www.flintshire.gov.uk.”