WYRE Forest District Council is owed £6.99million in unpaid council tax bills, according to the latest figures from the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The amount of debt accrued by residents across Kidderminster, Stouport and Bewdley forms part of a national total now at £6.6billion.
Charity National Debtline suggests, as council budgets have become more stretched, local authorities are increasingly reliant on council tax revenue to fund essential services.
But, it believes this has also led to higher bills overall, creating a vicious circle for many people already struggling to pay.
Recent research from the Money Advice Trust, which runs the National Debtline, reveals as of March 2025, 2.2million people in England (five per cent) were behind on their council tax bill, suggesting many more be struggling with council tax arrears and had not yet sought help.
Calls for more help
National Debtline is now calling for improved collection practices and greater investment in council tax support schemes to prevent people falling behind to begin with.
Steve Vaid, chief executive at Money Advice Trust, said: “Unless changes are made at a policy level, arrears are likely to keep climbing.”
A quarter of people who call National Debtline for advice have council tax debt, averaging £1,958 per person, making it one of the top three most common debts its advisers hear about.
Mr Vlad added councils had a vital role in helping residents with unmanageable bills to ensure council tax was collected in a way that is fair and affordable.
Current rules mean households can become liable for their full annual council tax bill if they miss one payment, which often results in a quick escalation to bailiff action.
Last week, the Government set out proposals to extend this period, so people had more time to engage and seek support and the Ministry of Justice has announced plans to consult on giving the
Enforcement Conduct Board legal powers to regulate the bailiff industry.
National Debtline welcomed both these moves after a decade of campaigning.
Wyre Forest District Council’s response
Coun David Ross, Wyre Forest District Council’s Cabinet member for Finance and Capital Portfolio, said council tax had always been a vital source of funding and, as part of its corporate plan, the authority was committed to ‘securing financial sustainability for services that local communities valued and increasing net income from its commercial activities’ to reduce reliance on council tax income.
He added the council consistently collected an average of 97.3 per cent of the council tax owed within the year, which was a strong performance.
And he said the debt figure also related to debt owed to the other precept authorities, not just Wyre Forest District Council.
These included Worcestershire County Council, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia, Hereford & Worcester Fire Authority and town and parish councils.
The council has a debt recovery policy to make sure council tax was collected from all those liable to pay, but added: “We are committed to balancing the need for effective council tax collection with compassion and support for those in financial difficulty.
“We strongly encourage anyone who is struggling to pay their council tax to contact us as early as possible. We are here to help and can offer support through our Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which provides discounts of up to 90 per cent for the lowest income working-age households.
“We also welcome the government’s ongoing consultation on changes to Council Tax administration and encourage residents to participate and have their say in shaping future improvements.”
