Second Report - Council Tax Collection

Select Committee
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee HC 57 1 December 2023
Report Status Government responded
Conclusions & Recommendations 21 items (12 recs)
Source View on Parliament website
Government Response (AI assessment · 21 of 21 classified)
Accepted 7
Accepted in Part 3
Acknowledged 1
Deferred 1
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 8
Government response
Response to Committee's Second Report of Session 2023 - 24 · published 1 Feb 2024
Read the government response ↗ Response on the tracker
Clear

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 results
5 Conclusion Acknowledged
Para 27
Imprisonment for council tax arrears is a disproportionate sanction impacting household essentials.
Conclusion
We are concerned that the threat of enforcement might mean people are putting their council tax payments ahead of heating and eating. In particular, we believe the ultimate sanction of imprisonment is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the committee's concerns regarding the threat of enforcement and imprisonment for council tax non-payment, explaining that imprisonment is a rarely used sanction for those who can but wilfully refuse to pay, with existing safeguards in place.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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