Stroud District Council passed 611 council tax debts to bailiffs during 2025/26, new figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal.
The figure represents a 6% increase on the previous year, when 577 council tax debts were referred for enforcement action.
The figures have been published by National Debtline as part of its annual Stop the Knock campaign, which is calling for councils to take a fairer approach to people struggling to pay.
The findings also reveal that council tax arrears in the Stroud district have reached £6.7 million, according to figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Nationally, council tax arrears have risen from £6.6 billion in 2024/25 to £7.4 billion.
Across England and Wales, 153 councils – 48% of those surveyed – increased their use of bailiffs to collect council tax debts last year.
A total of 1.72 million council tax arrears cases were passed to bailiffs during 2025/26, compared with 1.74 million the previous year.
National Debtline says the figures show that councils continue to rely heavily on enforcement action despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
Calls for greater protection
The charity has also raised concerns about the treatment of people receiving Council Tax Support.
Its research found that only 26 of 317 local authorities were exempting residents receiving Council Tax Support from bailiff action last year – down from 35 in 2024/25.
Stroud District Council is not among those exempting Council Tax Support recipients from bailiff action.
National Debtline is calling on councillors to change this, arguing that people receiving Council Tax Support are among those most likely to be financially vulnerable and may struggle to repay council tax debts quickly and in full.
Edward Ware, spokesperson for National Debtline, said: “We understand that councils are under increasing financial budget constraints, and council tax is vital to funding the local services we all rely on, but collecting this money cannot come at the expense of its most financially vulnerable residents.”
He added: “We would urge Stroud District Council to review whether there is more the council could do to support residents who are struggling to pay.”
National Debtline says council tax is now one of the three most common debts its advisers deal with, alongside credit cards and energy bills.
It says 31% of people contacting the service currently have council tax debt.
Changes planned for 2027
Changes to the way council tax debts are collected are expected to come into force in 2027 following a Government consultation.
Among the planned reforms, councils will have to wait 63 days, rather than two weeks, before demanding a full year’s council tax after a missed instalment.
The reforms are also expected to include more affordable repayment arrangements, a £100 cap on court-related fees, greater protection for vulnerable households and a move towards 12 monthly payments by default, rather than 10.
There will also be a greater emphasis on reducing aggressive enforcement practices, including the use of bailiffs.
National Debtline has welcomed the proposed changes but says further action is needed.
The charity wants the Government to introduce statutory steps that councils must take before passing debts to bailiffs, including working with residents and debt advisers to agree affordable repayment arrangements.
It is also calling for regulation of the bailiff industry and statutory powers for the Enforcement Conduct Board to oversee the sector.
Mr Ware said: “The proposed changes to council tax collection practices should make a meaningful difference to financially vulnerable households, but we need to see more progress when it comes to regulation of the bailiff industry.”
He urged anyone struggling with council tax to seek independent advice as soon as possible.
