ACORN West Midlands region

ACORN's West Midlands region contains the Branches and Groups Birmingham, Coventry, and Stoke-on-Trent & Newcastle-under-Lyme, as well as many other members in other towns and cities, all fighting campaigns on the issues that matter to them. Join in with an action near you so we can win.

We are stronger together.

ACORN's West Midlands region contains the Branches and Groups Birmingham, Coventry, and Stoke-on-Trent & Newcastle-under-Lyme, as well as many other members in other towns and cities, all fighting campaigns on the issues that matter to them. Join in with an action near you so we can win.

We are stronger together.

Birmingham City Council: Boot the Bailiffs

In August of 2024 ACORN Birmingham members voted in our new Boot the Bailiffs campaign. ACORN branches in Brighton and Manchester have already won their campaigns and forced their councils to change the rules on councils use of bailiffs. We are fighting this campaign alongside other branches across the country, including Leeds, Bristol and Haringey.

This issue of bailiff use for council tax collections is particularly relevant in Birmingham, as earlier this year it was reported in many news outlets that Birmingham City Council referred more residents' debts to private debt collection firms than any other council in the country. At the same time, Birmingham residents are facing a 20% increase in council tax over the next couple of years, meaning more and more people will struggle to pay.

By signing this petition you will be adding your voice to our campaign - we need as many residents as possible to support this campaign in order to show Birmingham City Council that enough is enough and that we will no longer stand for bailiffs coming after vunerable residents who struggle to pay.

To Cllrs John Cotton and Karen McCarthy,

Birmingham's 500% rise in bailiff referrals between 2022 and 2023 topped the list of 280 councils, with over 40,000 referrals in a 7 month period. Councils across the UK handed at least £2.4bn of unpaid council debts to bailiffs last year, with bailiffs only able to collect less than 20% of the total debts. However, statistics show that councils that do not refer debts to private debt collection agencies actually have higher repayment rates for debts than councils that use private bailiff collections. Citizens Advice research also states one in three people who have been contacted by bailiffs during the cost of living crisis have experienced behaviors that broke the rules, including threatening to break into their home, forcing entry, dealing unsympathetically with disabilities or illnesses, or taking goods required for their medical care or work.

We the undersigned demand the following from Birmingham City Council:

Stop the use of private bailiffs for debt collection
Stop use of bailiffs for collecting debt from anyone who is eligible for council tax support
Assist those who are eligible for Council Tax Support, and are in council tax debt, to register
Extend the period before court action is taken for council tax arrears to 3 months
Offer payment plans prior to court summons at reminder / final notice
Any enforcement agents sent to recover debts on the door should wear body cameras
A new charter for bailiff behaviour

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