Debt Talk: Prison & Council Tax (podcast)

Imprisonment is an option for many councils to enforce as a last resort if residents are wilfully refusing or are culpably neglectful to pay council tax in England. This month on the Debt Talk podcast Ripon Ray explored the ‘Prison & Council Tax’.

He invited Chris Daw KC and Russell Hamblin-Boone to find out whether it is fair and cost-effective to prison communities for non-payment of council tax.

Chris Daw KC, a criminal law expert, explained the history of debtors' prisons in the UK and how they were used against impoverished communities. He emphasised how Margaret Thatcher’s government introduced imprisonment as an option based on politically driven ideology and how this policy could be changed by removing imprisonment from the council tax legislation. He highlights how costly it is to put someone in prison.

Russell Hamblin-Boone outlined the changes in the enforcement industry and how it has adapted to meet the council's needs and identify financial and other vulnerabilities. He emphasised the importance of partnering with private enforcement agent companies as an alternative to imprisonment.

My panellists have also p
rovided top tips to Debt Talk listeners on how to move forward on a national issue and on the issue of private enforcement agents.

The Debt Talk podcast is on the: ‘Insecurities of being Self-Employed’

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