The government should stop local authorities passing council tax debts to bailiffs in the case of the most vulnerable residents, according to the Money Advice Trust. The charity that runs National Debtline made the call following the publication of former MP Eric Ollerenshaw’s Independent Review of Local Council Tax Support (LCTS), which highlighted local authorities’ increasing use of bailiffs as a concern. The report, commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), makes several recommendations three years on from the localisation of council tax benefit in April 2013. As a general recommendation, the report said councils should ensure their debt collection practices remain in line with the latest government guidance, and that their processes are proportionate to the debt involved. It also stated that councils should consider signing up to the Citizens Advice Council Tax Arrears: Good Practice Protocol, developed in partnership with the Local Government Association.....Read more here