Bailiffs are breaking the rules, and they’re getting away with it

Army veteran John’s experience shows how bailiffs are failing the most vulnerable

“I’m sick of seeing enforcement agents treat people like rubbish… There’s all sorts of guidelines about how these firms are supposed to treat vulnerable people but it’s all a bit toothless.” — Philippa, Citizens Advice adviser

John came to us for help last year after the parking fines he’d been struggling to pay were passed on to a bailiff firm. With the additional late fees, John’s total debt reached £2,000.

When the bailiffs first contacted John, he offered to arrange a monthly payment, but they refused and demanded he pay the full amount upfront. When he wasn’t able to pay, a bailiff visited John’s house and clamped his car. They later removed the clamp after John was able to prove he paid for the car through hire purchase.

After years of military service, John suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, depression and has a history of attempting to take his own life.

Bailiffs are supposed to allow vulnerable people extra time to seek advice, make a payment arrangement or — if there’s cause for concern — refer the debt back to the creditor. But all too often, as cases like John’s show, bailiffs hit the vulnerable the hardest.

Even after providing the bailiff firm with evidence of his mental health difficulties from 2 different GPs, they claimed he ‘obviously wasn’t too depressed to work’. John was left feeling humiliated that he shared sensitive information and his medical history still wasn’t recognised. His existing mental health difficulties were made worse by his anxiety over what action the bailiff firm would take next.

The adviser who supported John told us, “I’m sick of seeing enforcement agents treat people like rubbish… There’s all sorts of guidelines about how these firms are supposed to treat vulnerable people but it’s all a bit toothless.”

John’s experience is all too common

Reforms were introduced to the bailiff industry in 2014, but without anyone to enforce the rules, poor practice continues to go unchecked.

Research we published today finds that 850,000 people have seen bailiffs break the rules in the past 2 years.

We’re calling for the Ministry of Justice to use its upcoming consultation on rogue bailiffs to introduce an independent bailiff regulator. This would help protect vulnerable people like John suffering from bailiffs breaking the rules.