Yorkshire Has One of the Lowest Council Tax Arrears Debts

Regions in England and Wales by total council tax debtRegions in England and Wales by total council tax debt
Regions in England and Wales by total council tax debt
Over 4.4 million council tax bills have gone unpaid, piling up a staggering £4.4 billion in debt – and forcing over one million people into the hands of bailiffs.

A survey by Sell House Fast of local councils in England and Wales revealed that 1.8 million cases were referred to court for liability order issuance in 2022/23, rising to 2.1 million in 2023/24 – a 14% increase.

Many of these cases are decided in bulk hearings, which critics describe as ‘secret courts,’ leaving debtors unaware of the proceedings against them.

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Yorkshire and the Humber reports one of the lowest council tax debts, with just £208 million owed, a stark contrast to the higher figures seen in other regions. London and the South East top the charts, with £905 million and £786 million in arrears respectively – a reflection of higher property values in these areas.

The North West follows closely with £768 million in debt, while Wales and the North East report the lowest totals, at £139 million and £164 million.

In Yorkshire, Bradford City Council has the highest arrears, with £44.3 million, followed by Wakefield City Council at £34.1 million.

On the lower end, North Yorkshire Council has the smallest arrears at £1.8 million, with City of York Council and Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council also recording relatively low figures at £12.7 million and £13.3 million respectively.

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Total amount owed across all accounts in council tax arrears:

  1. Bradford City Council - £44,306,652
  2. Wakefield City Council - £34,076,338
  3. Hull City Council - £29,930,747
  4. East Riding of Yorkshire Council - £29,101,205
  5. Leeds City Council - £24,000,783
  6. Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council - £19,022,814
  7. Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council - £13,281,109
  8. City of York Council - £12,740,514
  9. North Yorkshire Council - £1,753,462

    Calderdale Metropolitan Borough, Doncaster Borough, Kirklees Borough, North Lincolnshire, Sheffield City, and North East Lincolnshire City Council didn’t respond.

    Councils are increasingly turning to bailiffs, with referrals rising sharply by 21% – reaching nearly 1.3 million cases in 2023/24.

    Councils in Yorkshire and the Humber have seen the lowest increase in bailiff referrals, with just a 4% rise in 2023/24 compared to the previous year.

    In comparison, councils in the East Midlands experienced the sharpest spike, with a 68% increase. The West Midlands and East of England follow with increases of 58% and 27% respectively.

    For more information about this research visit: https://sellhousefast.uk/blog/Britains-Council-Tax-Debt/

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