What happens if you don’t pay
Please contact us straight away if you're having problems paying your Council Tax. We may come to an arrangement that you can afford. Don't ignore notices we send you as it will only make matters worse.
You can also get free advice on managing your debt from Step Change or Citizens Advice.
If you pay late or miss a payment, we'll send you a reminder notice. If you don't bring your payments up to date within seven days, you'll lose your right to pay by instalments. After another 7 days, without further notice, you'll need to pay any remaining Council Tax for the year in full.
If you don't pay in full, you'll be sent a court summons for non-payment of Council Tax and you'll be charged court costs of up to £95.
We'll only send two reminder notices in a tax year. If you miss a third payment, we'll send you a final notice and you'll lose your right to pay by instalments. If your payments aren't brought up to date or we don't hear from you, you'll be sent a court summons for non-payment of Council Tax .
Direct Debit
Paying by Direct Debit ensures your payments are made on time every month and you don't need to remember to pay.
Council Tax recovery policy
Download our Council Tax recovery policy (PDF, 176kb)
We know these are difficult times for many residents and we want to help. If you're worried about debts or have missed payments, there is free, confidential and independent debt advice available. Money Helper can direct you to a debt adviser straight away.
Page last updated: 01 July 2022
