The figures show that in Surrey Heath, 381 accounts were in council tax arrears in 2021/22. Three years later this number had risen to 2,606 – a 584% increase.
The number of accounts in arrears being referred to bailiffs jumped from 1,050 to 2,190 across the same timeframe.
Surrey Heath Borough Council (SHBC) said: “The trend appears to be in line with the cost of living crisis.”
SHBC said it started using a new enforcement agent in July 2024 and referred some older cases to bailiffs to try to recover outstanding amounts which may have resulted in “duplicate” cases in the figures.
