Debt recovery law

[vinrex7]

I owed my local council 2 months council tax which due to the loss of a job i could not pay. This debt was given to a debt recovery firm who then naturally increased the amount after speaking to the debt collectors and agreeing a payment plan and starting to pay) i had a letter through the door with a list of visits they claim to have carried out (but didn't)and now they are charging £26 per visit, do they have to prove that they called or can they just keep increasing the debt with fictitious visits?

[Kayless]

The best thing to do to avoid this is to go to their office and pay what is agreed when it is agreed and get a receipt. It's very difficult for you to verify they visited and equally difficult for them to prove they did. Can you possibly either agree to go to their office, pay by some sort of standing order or perhaps agree a time slot when they visit.

[ubasses]

Have you been to the council to tell them of your situation and have you claimed council tax benefit, they may take the debt back and sort you out

[cathfromsaron]

what about applying for council tax benefit?
and if you had replied to the council's letters, this may not have happened!

[themas]

It is not normal for ordinary debt collectors to visit and add charges in this way. Are you sure these are not bailiffs? If they are, then the Council has been to Court & got a Liability Order against you, & you should know about that.

Bailiffs are allowed to add charges, but there are limits to the amount - the rules are quite complex & frequently broken. There is a website - I think it is bailiffsonline - which may give you some useful info.

[EDDIE51]

How long have you had this 2 months outstanding debt for ? Seems very odd that the council are sending it to a recovery firm unless you have owed it for a long time.
If you are unemployed you need to apply for council tax rebate, if you are on JSA/ out of work benefit you do not have to pay any council tax.
If you owe backdated council tax they will take it off your benefit at a £ or 2 a week and do not get debt collectors involved.
Are you telling us the full story ?