Gilruth vows more compassion for abuse survivors in council tax system
The Deputy First Minister said planned changes mean those fleeing abuse are not held fully liable for debts built up with their ex-partner.
Jenny Gilruth has set out plans to create a “more compassionate council tax system” where women fleeing domestic abuse can no longer be held fully liable for debts run up with their former partner.
The Deputy First Minister confirmed plans to create an exception to joint and several liability – which can leave one person having to pay for council tax bills that were accrued when they were part of a couple.
Ms Gilruth told MSPs the change would look to “break the financial association with the abuser”.
Also announcing that from next April local authorities will have to wait longer to take enforcement action against those who miss a council tax payment, she said the measures would be a “significant step forward in terms of delivering a more compassionate council tax system”.
She promised that going forward, those who have suffered domestic abuse “will only be liable for their own share of the outstanding debt” for council tax, and will not be considered “jointly liable with their abuser for the full amount”.
The change, she added, will “help ensure that survivors of domestic abuse are not left carrying an unfair burden arising from coercion and control long after they have escaped an abusive relationship”.
Ms Gilruth confirmed the measure in the wake of a Scottish Government review looking at the impact of joint and several liability on those who have suffered domestic abuse – saying as it stands the system can create “serious and unfair consequences for survivors”.
To help those who “find themselves in difficult circumstances”, the Deputy First Minister – who is also the Finance Secretary – announced plans to make local authorities wait longer before taking enforcement action after a missed council tax payment.
Such action can currently begin after 14 days, but the Scottish Government is to increase this to 63 days from April.
Ms Gilruth told MSPs this would “provide vital breathing space for those facing financial hardship, including survivors of domestic abuse who are trying to leave or recover from an abusive relationship”.
She added: “By slowing down that escalation process, we can help prevent temporary financial pressures become long-term debt problems.”
Marsha Scott, chief executive of Scottish Women’s Aid, said: “Women experiencing domestic abuse can be left facing debts they knew nothing about because of an abusive partner’s financial control.
“This financial abuse can leave women facing significant debt and hardship, making it harder to leave the abusive partner and rebuild their lives.
“This change is a step towards reducing women’s liability for debt that is not their own.”
Derek Mitchell, chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland, said: “Council tax debt is the most common type of debt people seek advice about from our network of local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).
“We very much welcome the extension to the period before debt recovery begins. This will be crucial for helping people who are struggling to pay their council tax, giving them much-needed time to get advice and support from their CAB.”