Instalments and Arrears
Council Tax is set
by Allerdale Borough Council and annual bills are sent in March
each year. It must be paid monthly (instalments due in
April must be paid within April, May within May, etc) to avoid
receiving a reminder or a summons. Block payments can be made, but
must be paid in advance.
The Council is duty bound to collect Council
Tax in line with current regulations. If a payment is missed you
will receive a reminder and will have a further seven days to pay
before the whole balance becomes due. If it is not paid you will
receive a summons which will cost you £50.00.
If payment of the first reminder is made you
can continue to pay monthly. However, the law only allows a maximum
of two reminders in any financial year. If after making payment for
a second reminder your payment is late again, you will receive a
Final Notice - which has to be paid in full within 14 days to avoid
a summons being issued.
A summons currently costs £50.00 to issue. The
summons details how much you owe and tells you when the hearing is
to be held. At the hearing we will ask the Magistrates to grant a
Liability Order. Once this has been granted we are able to
implement recovery action to clear the debt.
Recovery action can take the form of:
- An agreed payment arrangement with you (see
request for
payment arrangement form below)
- Attachment of earnings,
- Deductions from Income Support or Jobseekers
Allowance
- Instruct bailiffs
You can go to prison for up to 90 days for not
paying your Council Tax!
Anyone having difficulty paying their Council
Tax should always contact Allerdale Borough Council as soon as
possible (see contacts below). We are always available to offer
help and advice.
Don't wait until it's too late!
Contacts:
1. How to pay an instalment or advice if
you are unable to pay an instalment: 01900 702530
2. If you have had a summons and want to
discuss payment options: 01900 702670
Allerdale Borough Council
