13,500 taken to court in East Lancs for failing to pay council tax

Freedom of Information requests provided by the GMB union found that 13,646 people had received court summonses in the Ribble Valley (1,996), Hyndburn (5,042) and Burnley (6,603) in the 2024/25 financial year.

Data also showed that in Burnley, more than £14.5 million was owed to the authority, with the figure sitting at more than £ 1.1m in the Ribble Valley.

When people do not pay their council tax, or build up debt, councils can take residents to court in order to force them to pay what they owe, in what is usually dubbed a "last resort".

Councillor Margaret Lishman, Burnley Council's executive member for resources and performance management, said: "Council tax income is essential in helping us fund vital local services that residents rely on every day.

“While we recognise that many households continue to face financial pressures, we also have a responsibility to collect council tax fairly and efficiently on behalf of all residents.

"Taking legal action is always a last resort and only follows repeated attempts to engage with residents who have fallen behind with their payments.

"We would always encourage anyone experiencing financial difficulties to contact the council as early as possible so that we can discuss their circumstances and help them find a manageable solution.

"We have a range of support available for residents who are struggling financially, including assistance through our Crisis and Resilience Fund, as well as access to advice and support services that can help with budgeting, debt management and maximising household income.

"In addition, we recently introduced further council tax support for eligible households where a resident, their partner or a dependant has been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

"Where the qualifying criteria are met, this can reduce a household's council tax liability to nil, helping families facing extremely difficult circumstances.

“Our priority is to support residents wherever possible, and we are committed to working with people to prevent debts from escalating before enforcement action becomes necessary.

"Residents receiving Universal Credit may not realise that council tax support is not automatically included in Universal Credit, and that they still need to apply separately.

“Anyone who is struggling or unsure about their entitlement should visit the council’s tax support website or contact the council as soon as possible.

"The earlier people get in touch, the more options we have to help them find a manageable solution."

However, Ribble Valley Borough Council say that the council tax arrears date back over more than 15 years and they continue to work to reclaim the money owed.

The authority added that in 2024/25, they were amongst the top five councils in the country with the highest rate of council tax collected, with a 99.6 percent collection rate.

A Ribble Valley Borough Council spokesperson said: “Council tax goes towards paying for essential local services to residents and businesses and it’s vital that we collect this money efficiently and effectively, which we do.

"In 2024/25 we were amongst the top five councils in the country with the highest rate of council tax collection and in 2025/26 we expect to be so again, having collected 99.63% of council tax due. 

“The council tax arrears figure quoted by the GMB relates to accumulated arrears dating back over more than 15 years; not just one year. We continue to work to reclaim money owed. 

“We recognise that these are difficult financial times and we will do what we can to support residents who find themselves in difficulties. We send reminders to people who have fallen behind with payments before having to take the last resort of going to court to get liability orders issued.

"We would urge anyone who is struggling and in danger of falling into arrears, or already behind in their payments, to contact our council tax team to get advice and help as quickly as possible rather than letting their debts build up.”

Across the North West, a total of 482,622 accounts were said to be in arrears, with 256,000 having debt management proceedings launched against them.

More than £589 million was owed to North West councils in unpaid council tax.

No figures were provided for Hyndburn in terms of the amounts owed, but 9,151 arrears were reported to the authority.

Meanwhile, no figures were provided by Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle or Rossendale Councils.

The GMB has argued that these figures represented a broken council tax system, which was forcing cash-strapped councils to pursue 175,000 people across the North West.

Cllr Vanessa Alexander, portfolio holder for resources at Hyndburn Council, said: "The council recognises that many residents are continuing to face real financial pressures, and we understand how rising living costs can make it harder to keep up with household bills, including Council Tax.

“That is why, last year, we took the decision to freeze the proportion of Council Tax that Hyndburn Borough Council receives, to help ease that burden where we can.

“Our priority is always to support residents and work with them at an early stage. We know that people’s circumstances can change, and the sooner someone gets in touch, the sooner we can help.

“Whether that’s agreeing on a manageable payment plan, checking eligibility for discounts or reductions, or offering practical advice, we want to make it as easy as possible for people to access support before concerns escalate.

“While we do have a legal responsibility to collect Council Tax, which funds vital local services, enforcement action is always a last resort.

"We make every effort to engage with residents first and take a fair, proportionate approach that reflects individual circumstances, with the aim of finding a solution that is sustainable.

“We also work closely with trusted independent organisations such as Citizens Advice and National Debtline, who can provide free and impartial guidance on managing finances.

"Alongside this, our teams can help residents understand what support may be available locally, including Council Tax Reduction schemes.

“We would strongly encourage anyone who is worried about paying their Council Tax to contact us as early as possible.

"We are here to listen, to help, and to work together to find a way forward that keeps people on track while protecting the services our community relies on."

The findings were discussed as part of a local government special report, which was delivered at GMB’s annual congress in Blackpool on Tuesday, June 9.

Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary, said: “These horrifying figures show our council tax system is completely broken.

“Not only is the banding system woefully out of date, but forcing cash-strapped councils to pursue 175,000 people through the courts just to make ends meet can’t be the right way to do business. 

“Austerity left deep scars on all our public services, which will last a generation or more. 

“Meanwhile, the lack of authority funding often means low pay for the people we rely on to look after our loved ones, to take our rubbish, to keep our towns and cities running. 

“To fix all this, we need more guaranteed central government funding, progress on council tax reform so the richest pay their share and changes to Business Rates so that authorities can regenerate our high streets.”