About CIVEA

CIVEA is the principal trade association representing civil enforcement agencies employing around 2000 certificated enforcement agents in England and Wales.

CIVEA’s members enforce civil debt on behalf of local authorities and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS).

This includes unpaid council tax, business rates, parking fines, magistrates’ court fines, employment tribunal awards, child support payments, B2B and commercial rent arrears.

In total CIVEA members recover almost half a billion pounds in unpaid taxes and fines each year at no cost to the public bodies themselves.

As local government finances come under continued pressure, the work that our members undertake is becoming increasingly important. 

Every year, councils issue nearly 24 million Council Tax bills to help fund key local services, from adult social care and children’s services, to refuse collections and leisure facilities. Uncollected tax means less money for services and higher bills for residents who do pay on time.

However, the public value of effective enforcement goes well beyond the collection of revenue. 

Enforcement action can be an important trigger for people to seek much needed debt advice and support, and the profession has strict safeguards in place to ensure that the vulnerable are provided with the right protection. 

CIVEA’s members seek to secure payment from those who won’t pay, not those who can’t pay.

CIVEA is the principal trade association representing civil enforcement agencies employing around 2000 certificated enforcement agents in England and Wales. A list of members is here.

Facts

Each year CIVEA members receive approximately 4 million warrants and court orders for payments owed to central and local government. This includes unpaid council tax, business rates, parking fines, magistrates’ court fines, employment tribunal awards, child support payments, B2B and commercial rent arrears.
In total CIVEA members recover £550 million in unpaid taxes and fines each year at no cost to the public purse, which helps to fund key local services, from adult social care and children’s services, to refuse collections and pothole repairs.
Around 40% of overdue Council Tax debt is collected at the Compliance Stage. This is after council staff have endeavoured to recover the debt themselves.
The Compliance Stage was designed to engage debtors through the receipt of a letter and explain the consequences of further non-payment. It is intended that the £75 compliance fee applied to each case covers the entire cost of the compliance process, which is a complex process to verify details, assess circumstances, identify vulnerability and attempt contact through a variety of channels to arrange payment. It can involve tracing, credit checking, DVLA licensing checks, emails, texts, calls, and letters.
After sending the Notice of Enforcement, an extended Compliance Stage period involves:
  • Automated Voice Messaging (AVM) calls made at various times of the day to landline and mobile numbers.
  • Identifying and supporting vulnerable customers, understanding the impact the cycle of debt.
  • Maintaining specialist Welfare and Safeguarding teams, maintain an extensive signposting guide to provide tailored support to those who need it the most.
  • Supporting customers through the “Cost of Living Crisis”, providing additional training to customer-facing staff.
  • Delivering insights through data, ensuring tailored debt resolution strategies and communications.
  • Leveraging behavioural science to the benefit of clients and customers by delivering learning interventions for colleagues.
  • Adopting a Plain English approach to customer communications, informed by behavioural science insights and intelligence to ensure that communications are clear, fair and remove any confusion to enable customers to make informed choices.

Stats

Council Tax recovery rates in England and Wales have remained consistent with on average 97% of people paying their tax.
Council tax collection rates using enforcement agents reduced from 29.9% in 2017/18 to 21.4% by 2021/22.
Road charging Compliance Stage collection rates using enforcement agents fell from 9.9% in 2017/18 to 6.8% in 2021/22.
Non-road charging compliance Stage collection using enforcement agents increased from 8.6% in 2017/18 to 9.3 in 2021/22.
2.5% of fees and debt from Council Tax cases that are paid in full are collected at the Sale Stage, most are paid at earlier stages with less cost.
Less than 1% of those cases result in goods being taken into control and sold at auction. This is predominantly vehicles, which are the most common high value possessions.

Between 2018 and 2022:

The proportion of cases that were for parking and traffic charge notices had increased from 28% to 59%.
During this period, the proportion of cases that were for council tax fell from 36% to 28%.
The proportion of cases that settled after being paid in full fell from 21% to 15%.
The proportion of cases that settled after being paid in part fell from 4% to 1%.
The proportion of cases that settled at the Enforcement Stage fell from 70% to 65%.
Between 1% and 2% settled at the Sale and Disposal Stage.
The proportion of cases where no settlement was reached, and no visit was made increased from 5% to 9% between 2018 and 2022.
In between 1% and 3% of cases no settlement was reached, and the case was closed without a notice of enforcement being sent.

Certificated enforcement agents were previously called bailiffs. Enforcement agents are normally employed by a private company and, as such, are not officers of the court, but they are certified by the court. The certification process enables the court to exercise a degree of control over the standards of competence and conduct of enforcement agents.

The enforcement agent certificate, granted by the County Court, authorises the enforcement agent to work anywhere in England and Wales. The certificate must be renewed every two years. To qualify for a certificate, the applicant must satisfy the court that they are a “fit and proper” person to act as an enforcement agent. The applicant must prove that they have a sufficient knowledge of the law and procedure evidenced by Level 2 or equivalent Training in the Taking Control of Goods Regulations and provide a security bond.

Certificated enforcement agents enforce non-High Court orders this includes non-payment of council tax, business rates, parking and traffic offences, fines from the Magistrates’ Court’s, non-payment of child support, or a failure to pay commercial rent.

0844 893 3922

CIVEA
PO Box 745
WAKEFIELD
WF1 9RJ

For general enquiries only, you can contact us by email (admin@civea.co.uk), letter or telephone.

If you have a complaint or concern about one of our members, please go to our complaints page for advice

CIVEA is unable to discuss complaint matters over the telephone and complaints should be sent in writing. This is to ensure that the details of your complaint are accurately recorded and understood which makes it easier in addressing your complaint thoroughly. Please advise if you have a disability, so that we can make reasonable adjustments.

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