Council Tax Advisors CIC (CTACIC), the Council Tax debt advice specialists, saw an increase of 75% in the number of people seeking help with arrears in the year to July 2014. Average debt among those contacting the business is £7,200.

The amount of people seeking advice on debt in the UK has been rising. It was recently stated that debt is equal to 135% of household earnings, while over half of the 13 million people in the UK living in poverty have jobs.

With families in work surviving on less than 60% of the national median income, living standards are exceptionally low. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation believes part-time and low paid work is the root of this issue. As well as working families, the number of pensioners in poverty is at its highest in 30 years.

Chris Richards, founder & managing director at CTACIC, said: “The number of people seeking our advice in the past 12 months has been astonishing. These are people of all ages and from all walks of life, from hard working families to pensioners who should be enjoying their retirement. Even more worrying is their level of the debt – an average of £7,200 per caller. This is a serious issue that cannot be ignored.”

CTACIC offers free holistic support to clients looking to resolve council tax arrears which often lead to deeper debt problems being identified. Offering client’s advice on seeking payments payment plans with their local council, other solutions which include IVAs (individual voluntary agreements), DROs (debt relief orders) and bankruptcy are discussed where appropriate. All these services are free of charge to the client and to local authorities.

CTACIC gives every client dedicated support. This includes an initial consultation, ongoing advice and liaison with local authorities to find solutions agreeable to all parties. The company offers a comprehensive mediation service for all situations, no matter how complex. CTACIC works quickly on behalf of its clients and seeks to suspend any enforcement action in order to resolve debt issues as soon as possible.

As a community interest company (CIC), CTACIC believes no individual should face financial difficulty alone.

Community Interest Companies (CICs) are enterprises recognised by the government under the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004. They use their profits and assets for the public good and are regulated by the Office of the Regulator of CICs and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

For more information, visit www.counciltaxadvisors.co.uk.

Council Tax Advisors – Backgrounder

Council Tax Advisors (CTA) offers holistic debt advice and specialist knowledge in helping those who are in arrears or those who are suffering from enforcement issues.

A community interest company (CIC), the business believes no individual should face this problem alone.

As a not for profit company, CTA provides its services free of charge.

CTA can help clients avoid further financial problems. The company offers support for clients looking to resolve debt problems as well as council tax arrears through its selected partnerships; IVAs (individual voluntary agreements), DROs (debt relief orders) and bankruptcy. As with its council tax arrears advice, all these services are free of charge to the client and to local authorities.

CTA gives every client dedicated support. This includes an initial consultation, ongoing advice and liaison with local authorities to find solutions agreeable to all parties. The company offers a comprehensive mediation service for all situations, no matter the complexity. CTA works quickly on behalf of its clients and seeks to suspend any enforcement action in order to resolve the debt issues as soon as possible.

CICs are limited companies recognised by the government under the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004. They use their profits and assets for the public good and are regulated by the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

For more information, visit www.counciltaxadvisors.co.uk