Debt collection agency

[Messedupagainffs]

Can someone please help with any advice as I am so stressed out about this I don't know what to do.

long story short I have had a really awful year for mental health difficulties, been in crisis house for a week and had lots of involvement with the cmht, been referred for autism assessments and basically had a whole breakdown this past year. No longer involved with cmht as I need to now wait for the assessment.

i have really messed up and not paid my council tax. Actually I wouldn't have even had to pay it if I filled out the council tax support form months ago but I have had a lot going on.
i can no way speak on the phone which is how it's ended up as bad as this in the fist place , because of you miss a payment they then want the full year and to stop that you need to phone and speak to them.
its been to court
rheyve sent CDER group bailiffs to my home who left a letter
i messaged the number on the letter and they ignored me
i spike to them on the online chat and they said I can't make a payment plan online as it's been allocated to an agent so I have to do it on the phone via the agent (the one who hasn't replied to my message)
and just now I've received an email they're in the area and will be attended my property again today and I will get yet more charged added on for the visits unless I contact them- I've tried!
how do I stop them from ignoring me or how do I stop them from visiting over and over and adding more onto the debt

Firstly OP when you say it’s been to court do you mean you’ve been convicted for not paying council tax?

If not then follow this advice:

Whatever you do do not let them in to your home. You give away so many rights in doing that. Dont even answer the door. Tell them you will set up a payment plan via them but you aren’t able to pay the amount at the moment and that isn’t going to change with them doorstepping you.

Theyll pressure you to lend money off family. Tell them you can’t.

Do you have a car? If so go and park it on another person’s drive ASAP.

Stay calm and remember they have no real power. They can’t force their way in. They will imply that they have a right to tenter your property, but they don’t. Do not let them in.

Please no judgement I am really really annoyed with myself already I know this is my fuck up and I'm aware that I'm pathetic not being able to sort it on the phone I really have had enough of myself and of everything at this point i can't believe I've been so stupid again

If you HAVE been convicted and ordered to pay it’s different when collecting a criminal fine I believe. In which case I don’t know a great deal and you’re better to call a debt charity ASAP

No judgement here. It happens to so many people and it’s disgusting they treat people behind on council tax worse than criminals

You should fill out the form for 100% council tax reduction due to your mental health .
once you have done that it should be fully backdated

You need to speak to the one the phone or via the enforcement officer that comes to your door. Those are the 2 ways you are likely to get a payment plan.

I'm not sure I think it's been to court and I have a liability order (maybe?) and if i don't pay the letter says it will go back to court and could end up with a conviction
it's really confusing.
I just know I'm not going to be able to explain this to them through the door I will get in a panic

No judgement here either. You can't speak on the phone, what would be the easiest way for you access debt advice and support? There are some online webchat options here - it's important to speak to a free service and not one that will try to profit off you:
https://www.gov.uk/debt-advice
Best of luck getting some advice and getting it sorted 💖

I think non payment of fine for failing to pay council tax is an imprisonable offence. I’d call them up again. I’d also send a letter, recorded delivery, offering to set up a payment plan detailing their non response.

Id also complain to their professional body. It’s like they are setting you up to fail by refusing to communicate through normal methods and then charging you for visits.

Don’t pay anything or try to. https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-council-tax-discount
you can get a complete council tax exemption if you have severe mental health issues it needs to be signed off by your GP

OK - so my long piece of advice still stands.

Dont panic, and don’t let them in. Keep your door locked.

Write down something to pass through the letterbox to them. Include that you have MH issues that make communicating any other way very difficult.

These people are in these jobs for a reason and are universally total arseholes. They’ll push and pressure you but they’re also on commission and unless hanging around means they’re gonna get to seize a very expensive car, they eventually leave when they realise they won’t be getting money.

Depsite what the council say you CAN still do things directly through them. It’s entirely in their power to discharge the balliffs services. You need to get brave OP and talk to them. They will deal with this all the time and have no reason to be awful to you. You can’t keep ignoring this as it could get very serious very quickly

This may work eventually but it certainly won’t make a balliff go away today.

My partner is autistic and can't talk on the phone so I do it for him. Can someone help you? Social worker DWP do you have help from a carer?

Join the Facebook group beat the banks & bailiffs. They will give you advice specific to council tax debt and bailiffs. As you have vulnerabilities they can help you get the debt passed back to the council to deal with rather than bailiffs.

You will get a lot of mis advice on mumsnet about debt & debt collection.

Don’t answer the door or speak to the bailiff in the mean time. They are vultures.

OP go online right now and apply for breathing space. It is a government thing which gives you two months to sort it all out during which time they can’t take action against you.

If you do it now, you can show them the confirmation email if they turn up and they will have to go away.

During the the two months, engage with a debt support company and they can help you to get a plan set up.

Make sure it’s the the government scheme, it is free you don’t have to pay.

https://www.gov.uk/options-for-dealing-with-your-debts/breathing-space

https://www.stepchange.org/how-we-help/breathing-space-scheme.aspx?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD1toAgS8EGxhHk-gC_fIinugNYEa&gclid=Cj0KCQiAy8K8BhCZARIsAKJ8sfS6FmSZ_y5JLNJTXJIcdsye4jzmZGqTA1WsVvnqlbNRausq9fmO45caAjQkEALw_wcB

I didn’t even know breathing space was a thing what a great idea! It makes me angry that these schemes aren’t more widely known

So if YOU are ever owed money what recourse do you think can be used to get your money for you?

Or are you such a generous soul you'd just write off any debt to you?

But the debt collectors aren’t owed the money. They are employed by people to be nasty fuckers on an organisation’s behalf. A public organisation at that. As a taxpayer I hate that MY money is spent on them and begrudge funding bullies to swoop onto vulnerable people.

But otherwise your post was sooo helpful 🙄

Breathing space does not apply to council tax or liability orders.

I agree with breathing space, Stepchange can do this online and it'll give you a couple of months to work it out. If you have other debts then this will cover them too while payment plans are worked out.

I've been in a similar situation so no judgement from me at all. I ended up with a salary sacrifice which was a PITA but is now finally paid off.

I've had to beg and plead for payment plans, baillifs and the companies they work for can be a nightmare to communicate with. Once mine was moved back to the council I found it a lot easier to speak about it. I'm also someone who is inexplicably scared to talk on the phone so things tend to spiral.

I used it myself in the past when I had council Tax bailiffs at my door. I used the time to set up a payment plan with them.

Maybe I just got lucky but it certainly can’t hurt the OP to try.

Of course the debt collectors aren't owed the money! 🙄
But they are often appointed by The Court to collect the debt on behalf of a successful Plaintant - you want those people who won their Court case to get justice don't you?

Just calling them names isnt helpful to the OP and makes you sound puerile.

This was me 1 year ago. Look for your local cab and email them. They will ring you back but you HAVE to speak to them so they can HELP YOU, they'll do this by firstly getting EVERYONE OFF YOUR BACK!

Going forwards, you probably need face to face appts with them, but I really think they're the only people who can help at this stage.

I honestly understand the crippling anxiety but you must be brave.

Lots of luck xx