If we want an honest conversation about enforcement, we need to move beyond scaremongering and start dealing in facts

If we want an honest conversation about enforcement, we need to move beyond scaremongering and start dealing in facts.

This morning’s discussion on Good Morning Britain showed exactly why the enforcement sector must be more vocal in challenging the narrative that continues to surround our work.

Too often, public debate is driven by scaremongering, outdated anecdotes and alleged evidence presented without context or verification. That needs to stop.

We heard language such as debt collection being ‘aggressive’ and ‘hideous’. Descriptions like these may make for emotive television, but they do not amount to balanced evidence, they are not representative, and they should not form the basis of serious policy discussion.

As an Association, CIVEA welcome any media platform where we can educate and inform the public about modern enforcement. I believe strongly in transparency and open dialogue. But if we are going to have that conversation, it must be grounded in fact, not fear, and it must reflect the reality of how enforcement operates today.

The reality is this: civil enforcement is delivered within a clear legal framework, supported by robust safeguards, independent oversight, and established complaints processes. There are specific protections in place for those who are vulnerable, and enforcement agents are trained to recognise and respond appropriately to those situations.

This is not a sector that stands still. As President of CIVEA, I have been clear that we must continue to evolve. One of my core priorities is to support members through the transition to statutory regulation, ensuring it raises standards, strengthens trust and supports professionalism across the sector

That is why we support proportionate statutory regulation. We are already working to help shape a model that ensures consistency across all providers and gives the public confidence in how enforcement is delivered.

But reform must be built on robust, representative evidence, not unverified stories or selective accounts designed to provoke reaction rather than understanding.

There is also a reality that is too often overlooked. Enforcement Agents are frontline professionals working in challenging environments. The continued use of exaggerated or misleading narratives does not just misinform the public, it risks undermining the safety and professionalism of the people doing this job every day.

And we should also be honest about why enforcement exists.

The work carried out across this sector helps ensure that essential public services are funded. It supports local authorities and the wider justice system. It also underpins fairness for the majority who meet their obligations.

Because if we avoid saying it plainly, we miss the central question: why should people who can pay, but choose not to, get away without paying their council tax?

Where individuals are vulnerable, there must be protections, and there are. Where people need support, there must be safeguard, and there are. But where individuals have the means and choose not to pay, there must also be a lawful, proportionate consequence. That is not aggression. That is accountability.

As President of CIVEA, my focus is clear: to support members through reform, to strengthen dialogue with the public, and to continue shaping a sector that is fair, professional, ethical and trusted.

I welcome debate. I welcome scrutiny. But I will continue to challenge narratives that rely on fear rather than fact.

If we are serious about improving outcomes, for those in debt, for local authorities, and for our communities, then we must move beyond anecdotes and towards evidence-led, responsible conversation.

And if Martin Lewis, or anyone else, wants to have that conversation, I am here willing to talk.

Amy Collins, CIVEA President

For more information contact: Paul Suart, PLMR (07824 606513) or email civea@plmr.co.uk

NOTES:

· The Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA) is the principal trade association representing civil enforcement agencies employing around 1500 certificated Enforcement Agents in England and Wales.

· CIVEA is partnered with the Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB), which provides independent oversight of the enforcement industry.

· 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 unpaid council tax, criminal fines and unpaid penalty charge notices.

· High Court Enforcement Officers and certificated enforcement agents are eligible to be members of CIVEA. Authorised by the High Court, HCEOs can seize goods for debts over £600. Certificated enforcement agents are authorised by courts to collect debts like council tax, parking fines and commercial rent, often acting under a liability order.

· County court officers are court-employed agents who act on a warrant of control to seize and sell goods for County Court Judgments (CCJs).

· Enforcement is a significant sector in England and Wales. As reported by the ECB Insight Report (2026), The industry received almost 3.7 million cases for enforcement between 1 January – 30 June 2025, with a total debt value of £2.2 billion. Civil enforcement prevents losses to the public purse of an estimated £12 billion a year – a cost that taxpayers would otherwise bear.

· CIVEA members seek to secure payment from those who won’t pay, not those who can’t pay. The profession has strict safeguards in place to protect vulnerable people and to support those towards debt and welfare advice.