Bradford Council is using four external bailiff companies — CDER Group, Jacobs, Newlyn and Marston — to pursue council-tax arrears. Once a case is passed out, statutory fees stack fast and visits escalate stress for households already in crisis.
Bradford Council
The moment your debt is referred to an enforcement agent, fixed fees kick in: £75 (Compliance), then £235 + 7.5% over £1,500 if they visit, and £110 + 7.5% if goods are removed/sold. These charges are set nationally — but they land on families, not on the council.
Legislation.gov.uk
External “first knocks at the door” rose from 1,486 (2022/23) to 3,102 (2023/24) and 5,006 (2024/25). Meanwhile external compliance notices jumped from 3,692 → 5,210 → 7,146. That’s a lot more pressure arriving on doorsteps.
Bradford Council
Just 1 case in 2023/24. The stress and fees are real long before anyone takes property away.
Bradford Council
Bradford confirms it works with CDER, Jacobs, Newlyn and Marston. The council also publishes totals collected by external agents: £521,385 (2020/21) → £657,704 (2021/22) → £419,050 (2022/23) → £439,054 (2023/24) → £559,000 (2024/25). Those are big sums paid under pressure. The question is whether running multiple national contractors side-by-side is proportionate for Bradford — and whether the outcomes justify the human cost.
Bradford Council
+1
Bradford is operating under Exceptional Financial Support (capitalisation) — an emergency measure that effectively borrows against the future to plug today’s gaps. Residents are being pushed through high-stress enforcement while the council itself relies on extraordinary financial rescue.
Bradford Council
+1
Why four firms? What’s the evidence that splitting cases across multiple bailiff companies improves outcomes for residents (not just collections)? Publish the business case.
Bradford Council
Full quarterly KPIs: external vs internal cases; visits, fees added, arrangements agreed, cases paused for vulnerability, and complaints — firm by firm. (The council already publishes headline volumes; now show the outcomes.)
Bradford Council
Proportionality & vulnerability rules: what must an agent do before a visit? When must a case be paused? Where’s the independent audit?
Value for money: compare external collections (including fees residents pay) with in-house resolution focused on early engagement and payment plans.
Bailiff firms used: CDER Group, Jacobs, Newlyn, Marston (official Council list).
Bradford Council
Statutory fees (national): £75 compliance; £235 + 7.5% enforcement; £110 + 7.5% sale.
Legislation.gov.uk
External activity rising: 1,486 → 3,102 → 5,006 external first-visit cases over the last three financial years. External compliance notices 3,692 → 5,210 → 7,146.
Bradford Council
External cash collected: £521k → £658k → £419k → £439k → £559k (2020/21–2024/25).
Bradford Council
Goods sold: just 1 case in 2023/24 — proving pressure and fees bite long before any sale.
Bradford Council
Council finances: operating on Exceptional Financial Support.
Bradford Council
+1
Act before a visit: write with an affordable plan and ask for a 30-day pause while affordability/vulnerability are assessed.
At the door: you don’t have to let them in; keep communications in writing and ask for a fee breakdown.
If things escalate: use our Stop the Sale pack to ask the court to attach conditions (e.g., no order for sale if you keep to a plan) and to scrutinise legal costs.
Download help now:
Stop the Sale — Home Protection Pack (ZIP)
