Last Tuesday (10th Feb), ACORN Preston members sat down with Preston City Council leaders to demand an end to the use of private bailiffs. Outside, other members talked with members of the public.
We brought the Council a folder full of horror stories from our members: aggressive behaviour, threats to seize pets, and bailiffs chasing people for debts they’ve already paid.
During the meeting, Council Leader Matthew Brown agreed to sign up to ACORN’s national ‘Bailiff Free Britain‘ campaign in a personal capacity!
This is a huge win for our campaign and shows that the political will for change is growing at the very top.
Private bailiff firms aren’t just cruel – they’re also ineffective. Research shows they only collect about 27p of every £1. They don’t solve debt; they just traumatize our neighbours. And ultimately, that costs councils money further down the line!
While the Council claim they are tied into contracts until November, we pushed them for immediate action. Following our meeting on Tuesday, the Council has proposed:
A “Stop & Engage” Policy: If a resident is contacted by a bailiff but agrees to work with the Council or debt advice services, the Council will instruct the bailiffs to stand down.
Reviewing the “Ethical Model”: The Council is going to vote on having no bailiffs this autumn, before the current contract expires in November. The facts are on our side, so with one more push, we will win this!
What’s Next? This is a major step in the right direction, but we aren’t stopping there. With the Council leader now personally backing our campaign, we expect the rest of the Council to follow suit. We want private bailiffs gone for good by November!
Want to join the fight? If you’ve had issues with bailiffs or not, join the fight for dignity, not debt, today…