FOR many people in the UK, council tax makes up a huge chunk of their outgoings each month.

Local authorities significantly raise the cost of the tax each year, and 2018 saw an inflation-busting average 5.1% increase on Band D properties in England.

That pushed the average annual bill up to £1,671 – about £140 a month.

With wages not rising at nearly the same rate, and other costs like train fares and house prices continuing to increase above inflation, it’s no surprise many are running into difficulty when trying to pay the bills.

What should I do if I am struggling to pay my council tax?

According to official government advice, you should contact your council as soon as you think you are struggling or are behind with payments.

One option is to make 12 payments a year instead of the usual 10, to reduce the amount on each bill. They may also give you a one-off discount if you’re still struggling to pay.

It’s also worth checking if you’re eligible for council tax reduction or a reduced council tax bill, which you can do here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction

What happens if I miss council tax payments?

You will get a reminder notice that will give you seven days to pay, and if you don’t pay that, you’ll have to pay the whole year’s council tax instead.

You’ll be sent a second reminder notice if you miss another council tax payment.

But the government warns you’ll get just two reminder notices in a financial year.

If you miss a payment for the third time, your council will send you a final notice saying you must pay the whole year’s council tax.

If you don’t pay the whole year’s council tax within seven days, the local authority could take legal action against you.

A council can request a magistrate for a “liability order” – a legal demand – for unpaid tax, and the legal costs incurred may be added to money owed.

If you want, you can go to court to give your reasons for not paying, but should speak to your council or local citizens advice bureau before doing this.

What happens if I STILL haven’t paid after that?

If circumstances come this far, the council can get your employer to pay unpaid tax directly from your wages. They can also take money from employment and support allowance, income support, job seekers’ allowance, pension credit or universal credit.

That may mean you don’t have enough funds to pay other bills. If this is the case, you can ask your council if you can make smaller payments. They don’t have to agree, but will usually attempt to arrange something.

If there’s no other way of getting the money, the council can send bailiffs to seize property, but they will tell you how much you owe before these enforcement agents arrive.

The costs of bailiffs will then be added to the total owed.

If they cannot recover enough to cover the amount of debt, you will be sent a court summons, before magistrates decide whether you can afford to pay the bills or have a valid reason to not pay.

You can be jailed for up to three months if it’s decided you don’t have a good reason to not pay, and continue to refuse to do so.

If there is requirement for you to pay an amount back, the court may agree to an arrangement for paying it back over time.

For more information about council tax arrears, visit: https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-arrears