Responding to Citizens in Debt to Public Services

The First Minister asked the WCPP to explore the evidence around the question ‘How might public services and their contracted partners in Wales better respond to vulnerable debtors, especially those subject to prosecution and prison?’

The report focuses on council tax debt and rent arrears to local authorities and social landlords as key forms of citizen debt to Welsh public services and their contracted partners.

You can listen to our podcast on Council Tax and Vulnerable Debtors below. We ask why the number of people in council tax arrears in Wales is increasing, what factors are underpinning it, how council deal with the issue, and what better solutions are there for dealing with it.

Guests include:

Dr Helen Hodges – Research Officer at the Wales Centre for Public Policy

Professor Sharon Collard –Research Director of the Personal Finance Research Centre, University of Bristol

Lee Phillips – Wales Manager, Money and Pensions Advice Service