THE use of bailiffs to recoup unpaid council tax in Poole is unfairly “punishing” the working poor, a councillor has claimed.

In the financial year so far, Borough of Poole has referred 1,723 cases of unpaid council tax to enforcement agents, as bailiffs are officially titled, compared with 1,590 people in 2014/15, 1,322 people the year before and 1,031 the year before that.

In addition, the proportion of those residents served with Council Tax Liability Orders who are then referred to bailiffs has increased year-on-year from 38 per cent in 2012/13 to 80 per cent this year so far.

Liberal Democrat councillor Philip Eades said the figures were “truly shocking”.

“This financial year there will be well over 2,000 local families referred to an enforcement agent,” he said.

“This represents a doubling in only three years.

“Every one of these cases is a family struggling to pay their way in the world – most involve the working poor – these are local residents who are doing the right thing, working and bringing up a family without relying solely on benefits and yet they are being penalised and now punished by the Borough of Poole.

“With cases referred to a bailiff rising from 39 per cent of liability orders to 80 per cent in just two years, senior officers and the councillors in charge must have been involved in setting this policy.”

Cllr Eades said he believed those struggling to pay were families who had received council tax benefit until the authority’s Council Tax Support Scheme was introduced in 2013/14, since when they have been required to pay a ‘minimum contribution’ which has increased each year.

“Whilst most people in Poole have enjoyed a five year council tax freeze this group of people are seeing their CT bill explode every year,” he said.

Responding to the figures and Cllr Eades’ comments, cabinet member for finance Cllr May Haines said the use of bailiffs was a “last resort”.

“Councils have a duty to collect tax to pay for public services and we only seek to use an enforcement agent as a last resort if all other methods of council tax collection have been exhausted,” she said.

“We work with residents who are having difficulty meeting their council tax payments to set up payment plans and continue to have an Exceptional Hardship Fund.

“Debt advice can be sought at our children’s centres and Citizen’s Advice Poole, whom we provide funding towards.

“These extensive measures are demonstrated through our in-year council tax collection rate for 2014/15 of just over 98 per cent, which is extremely high.”