Got bailiff debt? Count on us.
Bailiff debt is stressful, and it gets more expensive at every stage. Tell us what has happened and one of our team will call to talk it through. A debt adviser then explains your options.
Speak to someone now0161 660 0876
We do not charge for the call, and there is no obligation. How we work
Free debt advice is also available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, Citizens Advice and National Debtline.
- 14 clear daysThe least written notice the law allows before a bailiff’s first visit.
- £79, then £247Fixed fees added to most debts: one when the notice is sent, one when an agent first visits.
- 6 in 10cases that ended in payment were paid only after a bailiff had visited, with the larger fee already added.
What happens when you ask for a call
Tell us what has happened
A few questions: where things are up to with the bailiffs, the kind of debt and roughly how much is owed. Then a name and a number.
We call and listen
One of our team rings from a UK number to go through what has happened and take some details.
A debt adviser explains your options
A debt adviser looks at the whole picture and explains the options that may be available to you, what each one costs and what the drawbacks are.
You decide
If a solution suits you, you are referred to one of our trusted debt solution providers to put it in place. If not, there is no obligation to go any further.
We do not charge for speaking to you. A debt solution may have fees, which are explained before anything is agreed. How we work
Where have things got to?
Each stage of enforcement has its own rules. Start with the one that fits.
- A letter has arrivedA Notice of Enforcement, and what the days on it mean.The notice rules
- A visit is expectedWhat an agent can and cannot do on the doorstep.The doorstep rules
- Something was listedControlled goods agreements and clamped vehicles.How agreements work
- It needs to stopWhat can pause or end enforcement, and who decides.Ways it can be paused
- It might be fakeChecking a letter, text or caller against the registers.How to check
What happens at each stage, and what it adds
Pick the kind of debt and step through the five stages, from the first letter to removal. Each one shows what the rules allow and the fee that goes on the debt.
A Notice of Enforcement arrives
Day 0
- Nothing can be taken until this notice has been given in writing.
- It has to give at least 14 clear days before any visit. Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day are not counted.
- The £79 compliance fee is added to the debt at this point.
- The authority behind it is a liability order made by the magistrates’ court.
What the notice must containAt this stage now? Request a call
What bailiffs can and cannot do
Enforcement agents in England and Wales work to rules set by Parliament. These are the ones that matter most on the doorstep.
The rules allow a bailiff to
- Visit between 6am and 9pm on any day of the week, Sundays included.
- Come in through an unlocked door, or if someone lets them in.
- Take control of goods outside, such as a vehicle on the drive or on the road.
- Add the fixed fees set by law to the debt.
The rules do not allow a bailiff to
- Force their way into a home on a first visit for council tax, parking penalties or most court judgments.
- Come in through a window, or push past someone at the door.
- Enter when the only person there is a child under 16 or a vulnerable person.
- Take essentials such as a cooker, a fridge, beds or a phone, or work equipment worth up to £1,350 in total.
The rules changed on 1 May 2026
The first changes to notice periods and fees since 2014. Much of what is online still quotes the old figures.
The minimum notice before a first visit doubled.
The notice period where a debt advice provider asks in time.
The three fixed fees, with the 7.5% threshold moving from £1,500 to £1,900.
The debt decides the rules
Who can force entry, what the fees are and what can pause enforcement all depend on the debt behind it.
- Council taxLiability orders and what councils can do.
- Parking penaltiesFrom PCN to warrant, and the TE7 and TE9 forms.
- Court finesWhere forced entry is possible.
- County court judgmentsWarrants of control and form N245.
- High Court writsEnforcement officers and the higher fees.
- HMRC tax debtsHMRC’s own officers and their powers.
Few people have goods taken. Far more pay the fees.
In January to June 2025 enforcement firms took goods away in 2,624 of almost 3.7 million cases. The figures they gave the Enforcement Conduct Board for the same six months show what happened far more often.
- Debt collected by enforcement agents
- £527min six months, before their own fees
- Paid only after a bailiff had visited
- 64%of the cases that ended in payment
- Average debt repaid on a case that ended in payment
- £712not counting the fees on top
- Average fee collected on a case paid in full
- £201on the lower fees in force before May 2026
On the standard scale the fixed fees are £79 at the notice, £326 once an agent has visited and £442 if goods are removed for sale, before any percentage fee on a larger debt.
How the fees build up What can and cannot be taken
Figures: Enforcement Conduct Board, Insight Report 2026, from the returns of accredited firms in England and Wales.
Check a figure, a date or an item
Four tools that apply the regulations to a specific case. They show what the rules provide, and are not advice on any one person's situation.
Which company is the letter from?
The name on the letter tells a person who to check and who to complain to. The rules are the same for all of them.
- Marston
- Bristow & Sutor
- CDER Group
- Jacobs
- Equita
- Ross & Roberts
- Newlyn
- Dukes
- Rundles
- Excel
- HCE Group
- DCBL
- Court Enforcement Services
- Andrew James
- Whyte & Co (ceased trading)
That name is not one of the companies with its own page here. Search the full register of 55 accredited firms.
All bailiff companies and the Enforcement Conduct Board register
Common questions
Do I have to let a bailiff in?
GOV.UK says: “You usually do not have to open your door to a bailiff or let them in.” For council tax, parking penalties and court judgments there is no power to force entry to a home on a first visit. Unpaid magistrates’ court fines are the main exception. A closed door does not stop the costs. For most debts the £247 enforcement stage fee is added from the first visit whether or not anyone answers, and a vehicle outside can still be clamped.
How much notice do bailiffs have to give?
At least 14 clear days in writing before a first visit, for enforcement that started on or after 1 May 2026. Sundays, bank holidays, Good Friday and Christmas Day are not counted.
What can bailiffs not take?
Essentials such as a cooker, fridge, washing machine, beds, heating and a phone, anything needed to care for a child or for medical needs, pets, work equipment worth up to £1,350 in total, and anything that belongs to someone else. A car is protected only in limited cases, and a clamped vehicle is what is most often taken away. With a car or without one, for most debts £79 is added when the notice is sent and £247 on the first visit.
How much do bailiffs add to a debt?
For most debts, £79 when the notice is sent and £247 on a first visit, with £116 more if goods are removed for sale. Debts over £1,900 attract a further 7.5% of the amount above that at the last two stages.
Is Bailiff Support Team a bailiff company?
No. We are not a bailiff company and we cannot take payments towards a debt. Bailiff Support Team is a trading style of Care About Money Ltd. Our team takes enquiries and makes the first call. Debt advice is given by Care About Money’s debt advisers. A debt solution is put in place by a debt solution provider. Care About Money Ltd FRN 962287 is an appointed representative of Promethean Finance Limited FRN 662425.
What does it cost to speak to you?
We do not charge for speaking to you, whether that is our team or a debt adviser. A call to our number costs whatever a call to a UK landline costs on your phone plan. We receive a fee from a debt solution provider if a person enters into an agreement with them. A debt solution may have fees of its own, and those are explained before anything is agreed.
Is free debt advice available?
Yes. Free, impartial debt advice is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, Citizens Advice and National Debtline. Nobody has to use a paid or commercial service to get help with their debts, and using one of the free services does not reduce the options available.
Want to talk it through with someone?
Tell us where things are up to and one of our team will call to talk it through. A debt adviser then explains the options. There is no obligation to go any further.
Speak to someone now on 0161 660 0876
We do not charge for speaking to you. If you choose a debt solution, you are referred to one of our trusted debt solution providers, and we receive a fee if you enter into an agreement with one of them. A debt solution may have fees, which are explained before anything is agreed.
Free debt advice is available
These organisations give free, impartial debt advice and are independent of Bailiff Support Team. Nobody has to use a paid or commercial service to get help with their debts, and using one of the free services does not reduce the options available. Their advisers can also ask an enforcement firm to extend a notice period or apply for Breathing Space where it fits.
- MoneyHelperGovernment-backed. Finds a free debt adviser nearby or online.
- StepChange Debt CharityFree debt advice online and by phone.
- Citizens AdviceDetailed help with bailiffs, online and in person.
- National DebtlineFree advice and sample letters, run by the Money Advice Trust.