About us hero

Who we are?

CIVEA is the principal trade association representing civil enforcement agencies employing around 1500 certificated enforcement agents in England and Wales.

CIVEA represents approximately 40 companies that make up more than 95% of the entire enforcement industry. CIVEA’s members work to enforce civil debt on behalf of local authorities and His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) including council tax, business rates, road traffic and parking penalties, magistrates’ court fines, employment tribunal awards, child support payments, B2B and commercial rent arrears.

This amounts to over £550 million (half a billion) of unpaid taxes and fines recovered each year at no cost to the public purse.

As local government finances come under continued pressure, the work that our members undertake is becoming increasingly important as a major source of revenue. Uncollected tax debts and fines means less money for services and higher bills for residents who do pay on time.

Civil enforcement prevents losses to the public purse of an estimated £12 billion from unpaid council tax, criminal fines, and unpaid penalty charge notices. This is a cost that taxpayers would otherwise bear.

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.


What would you like to know?

The government wants to bring in a more effective Council Tax collection system which treats people more fairly, while ensuring the money required to fund public services is collected.

Ministry of Justice

Our role as a Government is to strike the right balance between ensuring that debts can be collected effectively while protecting debtors from enforcement agents’ aggressive behaviour.

Lucy Frazer, Justice Minister

Enforcement agents carry out an important job in often very challenging circumstances.

David Gauke, former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

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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Contact us

You can contact us by email, letter or telephone.