Jo is a member of the local Together Against Debt group in Greater Manchester. In a recent conversation, Jo opened up about a personal chapter in her life that continues to fuel her fight for change: an encounter with bailiffs that marked the beginning of her descent into what she calls “abject poverty.”
‘Abject poverty’
Jo’s trouble began, as it does for many, with unpaid council tax. “It was about 12 years ago,” she recalled. “I ended up going to court, which was completely alien to me – absolutely terrifying – because I didn’t want the bailiffs to come to my house and take my stuff. I didn’t even really understand what a bailiff was.”
At the time, Jo was caring for her three-year-old child. The fear of losing her belongings, her dignity, and her security overwhelmed her. She received a letter saying she had to go to court.
“Being in court with the council and their representatives was one of the most horrific experiences I’ve ever had. I felt bullied. I felt disbelieved. I felt desperate.”
Jo is now an outspoken campaigner for banning bailiffs, describing them as a “layer of horror you never get out of.”
Her criticism is clear: the current system is not only inhumane it’s ineffective.
“Bailiffs are too autonomous,” she said. “They charge fees to the person they’re collecting from, [on top of interest]. So people are driven further into negative debt. It’s a threatening way to collect money that’s ineffective – We’ve got figures that say that it doesn’t do the job it’s supposed to do, so stop doing it.” [1]
Local authorities are one of the most prolific users of bailiffs to collect debts. Despite government guidance that they should only use bailiffs as a last resort, local authorities sent bailiffs to collection outstanding council tax debt more than 1.3 million times in 2022/23 [2].
In fact, Citizen Advice research found that 2 in 3 people experience harassment and intimidation from bailiffs collecting debt [3] Money and Mental Health institute found that 73% of people in council tax arrears who were referred to bailiffs have experienced mental health problems [4].
The future
When asked what should replace bailiffs, Jo didn’t pretend to have all the answers but she knows where to start: the council.
In 2020 it was found that there is ‘no clear relationship between stricter council tax collection policies and higher council tax collection rates’. Five years on, and bailiffs are still being used for council tax collection. This needs to end.
“I was part of the campaign for Manchester City Council to ban bailiffs, which they did for 48,000 households in 2024 [5]. And I know it can happen elsewhere.”
Local authorities have “massive information banks” she explained. “We can use data to identify people who are likely to fall into financial difficulty and intervene earlier. Prevention is always better than cure.”
She believes any alternative to the current system must be community-led and grounded in compassion, consultation, and common sense. “Speak to people who have been through it. Ask them what would have helped. Don’t just design policies from the top down.”
That’s why I am campaiging with Debt Justice on banning the bailiffs. No matter what’s in the bank, we all should be treated with dignity, respect.
Above all, Jo emphasises the importance of being listened to, something she says was sorely lacking in her own experience.
“What could have made a difference? Listening. Nobody listened. Nobody was kind. Nobody made space.”
Even a simple payment plan, discussed with empathy, would have helped. But instead, she says, people in debt are treated as problems to be dealt with rather than people to be supported.
“We feel invisible. We feel isolated. And when that happens, it’s easy to bully us.”
Her message is stark but powerful: “Listen, and end this appalling practise.”
Take action now
Jo’s story is a reminder that those of us most affected by debt and poverty need more than bureaucratic processes, legal threats or bully boy tactics – we deserve understanding, support, and above all, a voice in the system that claims to serve us.
Councils have the power to end bailiff use, some have already done so. Now we need to come together and make sure the pressure’s on so no one will have to experience this.
Banning bailiffs, as Jo states, isn’t just about removing a harmful practice. It’s about reimagining a system that centres people, not punishment.
Notes
[1] Council Tax debt collection and low-income Londoners, Policy in Practice: https://policyinpractice.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Council-Tax-debt-collection-and-low-income-Londoners_GLA_pub.pdf
[2] Centre for Social Justice. 2024. Still Collecting Dust. Centre for Social Justice. https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/library/still-collecting-dust
[3] Citizens Advice. 2023. Bailiffs behaving badly: stories from the frontline. Citizens Advice. https://assets.ctfassets.net/ mfz4nbgura3g/1W7pvSDitGX7O7TNFQ5pVp/54371cc5db54da9bf67733ea92d36661/Bailiffs_20Behaving_20Badly_20_2_.pdf
[4] Money and Mental Health Policy Institute. 2024. https://www.moneyandmentalhealth.org/ publications/in-the-public-interest/
[5] Manchester City Council bans bailiffs: https://debtjustice.org.uk/blog/people-power-works