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Can’t contact council and in arrears - please help

7 replies

lharris1 · 28/07/2025 12:33

I’m sick with worry, I paid my council tax late (due to personal reasons I know my fault etc) and was sent the first reminder through post.

it’s a London borough. I paid after the first reminder (it says if you ignore official reminder you risk legal action)

however the online account system was down at the time I paid so I couldn’t check confirmation my payment was received. I paid online instead (not via my council tax system account) but through a pay link thing - I also opted to have confirmation receipt emailed to my address. You just put your name and address then tells you to to put account reference number. I did all of this correctly (it was a large amount too)

however today when I could finally log in to the council tax system account, it’s saying no payments have been received. I’m panicking like crazy that legal action will now happen and my credit score will be ruined (it’s already low)

the second I saw this on the account I called the council but I have been on the line for over 20 minutes and no one has picked up. I’m so scared what can I do? They make it impossible to actually speak to a human or even email for urgent requests it’s all ‘do it via the website form’

OP posts:
Mrsttcno1 · 28/07/2025 12:35

When did you make the payment?

lharris1 · 28/07/2025 12:36

Saturday

OP posts:
Rizzz · 28/07/2025 12:38

If you made it on Saturday there's no point in ringing for a few more days yet.

In fact if you log in again in a few more days it'll probably show then.

I'm in a London borough too and my council are incredibly slow, as are their systems.

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Mrsttcno1 · 28/07/2025 12:41

So it hasn’t even been 1 working day. Check again on Wednesday, if it still doesn’t show then give them a call.

Octavia64 · 28/07/2025 12:42

I had a problem with my bank account a few months ago and the council tax direct debit bounced.

I was like you also very worried but I was assured that this does happen and they don’t do legal action or anything like that without giving you a chance to sort it out first.

also their systems are quite slow.

lharris1 · 28/07/2025 13:11

Thank you all that is reassuring
i just presumed it would be like bank transfer and instantly received

OP posts:
lharris1 · 02/08/2025 19:28

Thank you all, you were right - sorry I was just panicked before as first time in this situation

The payment reached the council system technically after the next 7 days deadline within the warning letter but council took no further action - no fines or legal action

OP posts:
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