MORE than 8,000 children across Wirral are living in fear of bailiffs as their families struggle with unpaid council tax, new figures show.

Councils in the Northwest sent bailiffs to chase unpaid council tax almost a quarter of a million times last year – leaving children frightened and worried.

A new report by The Children’s Society reveals that council tax debt is widespread, with almost 180,000 children in the region living in 104,000 families who have fallen behind with their bills.

Figures show that 4,673 families on Wirral have experienced council tax debt, affecting 8,075 children.

Rather than helping them get back on their feet, The Children’s Society says local authorities are threatening struggling households with court action and sending bailiffs around to family homes.

Most families receiving a knock at the home say their children were at home at the time, according to the report, with a majority of those families saying the experience left their child frightened, sad or worried.

Many other children have picked up the phone to a debt collection agency. Of those children who said someone had phoned the house to ask about money owed, nearly half said they felt frightened and three quarters felt worried.

The Children’s Society claims councils can be one of the most uncompromising creditors – in just 14 days, families can go from missing a council tax payment to losing the ability to pay in instalments and then face court proceedings and enforcement on unpaid bills, such as bailiff visits.

The costs of court action and debt collection are often passed onto the indebted family – making it even less likely that they will be able to repay what they owe.

A spokesman for Wirral Council told the Globe enforcement agents work to policies and procedures designed to safeguard and take account of vulnerable people, including children, with all staff subject to daily monitoring.

The Children’s Society’s report - The Wolf at the Door: How Council Tax Debt Collection is Harming Children - finds that more than one in 10 families in the UK have experienced council tax debt, with average arrears reaching £420. That means up to 1.6m children will have been affected.

Rob Jackson, from the Children’s Society, said: “Bailiffs should simply not be sent around to families with children. Instead, councils should give struggling residents a chance to negotiate affordable repayments, and make sure every family in trouble is offered independent debt advice.

“Every child and teenager deserves to feel safe in their own home without being scared of the next knock at the door.”

A spokesman for Wirral Council said: “The enforcement agents used by Wirral Council work to policies and procedures designed to safeguard and take account of vulnerable people, including children.

“All staff are required to work to these policies and procedures, which are subject to active daily monitoring.  In addition they have a Welfare Team who work with the council to manage all vulnerable cases from start to finish, and provide a single point of contact to anyone deemed vulnerable. 

“All staff are trained to identify a vulnerable situation, and will refer such cases to the Welfare Team to deal with.

“Enforcement agents actively signpost customers to free debt advice. Where a customer is seeking advice and support, an advice protocol allows time for the customer to seek advice and propose a repayment plan without any further action occurring on the account.”