Housing rights organisation ACORN Union interrupted a Lambeth Council meeting last night to demand an end to bailiffs being used to collect unpaid council tax.
The disruption, which included a request to meet with council leader Claire Holland to discuss reforms, is part of a national campaign by ACORN called Bailiff Free Britain.
Paul Adams, a member of ACORN’s Lambeth branch, read a statement from Lambeth Town Hall’s public gallery, calling certain measures ‘outrageous and almost medieval’.
He said: “We want bailiffs out of people’s lives.
“Bailiffs and the way that they’re being used by councils are causing real harm, and people deserve to be supported by the people that they elect to represent them.
“People can still get put in prison for not paying their council tax, which is outrageous and almost medieval.”
Other demands included an end to imprisonment for non-payment of council tax debt, residents being given the maximum amount of time possible to address their arrears before a council can seek a liability order, and a government commitment to exploring alternatives to council tax.
During the reading of the statement, some councillors left the room, including Leader of the Council, Councillor Claire Holland, and Deputy Leader of the Council (Housing, Investment, & New Homes), Councillor Danial Adilypour.
Adams added a testimonial from James Stewart-Williams, an ACORN Lambeth member who was ‘shocked with the force and the zeal’ of Lambeth council in the collection of his council tax.
According to the statement, despite Stewart-Williams’ attempts, Lambeth Council were ‘almost impossible to contact and not interested in discussing a resolution’.
Stewart-Williams, who attended the disruption, echoed Adams’ comments.
He said: “Bailiffs are very threatening people: the way they approach you, communicate with you, turning up at your property unannounced.
“Their manner of speaking is very militant and completely unacceptable for modern day Britain.”
Stewart-Williams added that being included in the statement and attending the protest was a ‘dream come true’.
He said: “It was, in a nutshell, liberating.
“Just being there and hearing my story, and looking at the faces of the councillors, some of whom were really quite receptive and sympathetic.
“It was absolutely a dream come true, and I would do it again.”
Of those owing council tax, 79% are in the bottom half of earners, and a third live below the poverty line, according to ACORN data.
ACORN alleges they have tried to contact Cllr Holland twice over the past month, but received no reply.
A Lambeth Council spokesperson said: “Council Tax is a vital source of revenue which helps fund a wide range of front-line services that our residents – particularly the most vulnerable – rely upon.
“Lambeth, like all local authorities, has a legal obligation to maximise collection of Council Tax to fund essential services.
“Lambeth Council uses Enforcement Agents (EAs), and these are not used to take control of goods to recoup a debt. Lambeth uses EAs as a last resort to support people in debt to repay, including as an alternative method to engage with residents in receipt of Council Tax Support (CTS), in order to begin a dialogue with them.
“This enables us to understand any issues and act accordingly – including through assistance with debt, income maximisation, help via discretionary schemes or possibly even writing off the debt.
“We have worked with vulnerable people to encourage them to pay and to provide debt advice, support and discretionary payments for those who can’t pay.
“Some of that contact work is carried out by an external company who contact people by phone or letter if the council has been unable to get in touch with them directly.
“The council is already writing to Acorn in response to their letter, received just before Christmas, setting out the work Lambeth does in supporting people to pay their council tax.
“Lambeth runs an interventions programme for council tax arrears, which targets accounts with an award of CTS and accounts classed as protected for vulnerable residents.
“Flyers are sent with any reminder notices to make these customers aware that they can discuss their council tax account with the advice agency Citizen’s Advice Merton & Lambeth (CAML) who offer independent advice to residents.
“The protest on Wednesday was an unauthorised demonstration which disrupted the Full Council meeting which the Chair then suspended.
“Any groups or individuals are welcome to raise issues of concern at council meetings through established channels and by prior arrangement – for example, through speaking at committees or pre-arranged delegations on the floor of the Council Chamber at Full Council meetings.”
Featured image credit: ACORN Lambeth
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