Domestic abuse victims may have council tax debts written off

The Herald Scotland

15-05-2025

Her intervention follows an amendment, seeking a review of the current system, by the Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer to the Housing Bill.
She said: 'The Scottish Government has committed to support this amendment. The review will help councils navigate these complex cases with greater care and understanding, ensuring that support is available.'
Mr Greer's amendment urges MSPs to call for the government to examine the measure which could mean victims would not have pay off their abuser's council tax debts.
His proposal requires ministers to review the impact of the current system on domestic abuse survivors.
Coerced debt involves an abusive partner building debt in the victim's name without his or her consent or knowledge or through coercing, forcing or threatening them to do so.
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Researchers and organisations supporting survivors have found examples where an abuser uses council tax debt as a means of ongoing control and financial coercion making it harder for a person to leave the relationship.
Groups calling for the removal of coerced debt include Scottish Women's Aid, Aberlour and Financially Included, who recently published a joint report on the matter.
Their report found that the issue disproportionately affected women and children, with some children having to be taken into care as a result of problems relating to coerced debt.
There was also evidence that coerced debt led to survivors facing homelessness, difficulties in finding a job, poor mental health, and low credit scores and long-term financial insecurity.
A support worker for the Aberlour Bridges Partnership told researchers: 'One of our mums is still having to re-pay council tax arrears from a property she lived in with the perpetrator over two years ago, she thought he was paying the council tax, and he was not.
"As it was a joint private tenancy, she was made liable for the council tax, and this costs her approximately £104 per month, which is a huge sum each month.'
The report found 240 women in Glasgow supported by the organisation Financially Included owed public bodies £251,400.
It also revealed that council tax debt made up 37% of the public debt accumulated by clients of the three organisations.
'Coerced debt is a form of abuse and financial violence that is being used against people in often very desperate situations. It is used to punish and control victims and survivors and to make them responsible for their abusers," Mr Greer told The Herald.
'Council tax debt causes a huge amount of stress and anxiety for thousands of people across Scotland. Some of those worst affected are survivors of domestic abuse who are being forced to pay off their abuser's debts."
He added: "This is a problem overwhelmingly affecting women with children, with every penny they are forced to pay effectively being a tax for surviving their abuse. Cancelling it and changing the rules around joint liability is clearly the right thing to do.
'I hope that MSPs from all parties will support my proposal and that we can move quickly to provide some relief and support for people who are trying to rebuild their lives.'
More than 400 amendments to the Housing Bill have been tabled.
The proposals are being examined by MSPs on Holyrood's local government, housing and planning committee with the legislation to be voted on later at its final parliamentary stage - stage three - in the Holyrood chamber.
The main aim of the bill is to allow councils to create rent control areas where rent is capped to certain levels.
An amendment by ministers proposes that rent rises are capped to the rate of inflation plus 1% to a maximum of 6%.
The Scottish Government has also set a target date for local authorities to make market assessments and recommendations on whether or not to introduce rent control areas. The new date is May 31 2027.
Almost £3m of school meal debt was written off, the Scottish Government announced earlier this year, after a national fund was set up to help struggling families following a demand by the Greens.
The write-off fund was a response to growing alarm over school meal debt incurred by families during the cost of living crisis.
The fund was opened last year and 29 councils have drawn on the national pot to clear parental debt. Glasgow council was given £655,032 to write off debt while the figure for Edinburgh and Highland standS at £89,321 and £115,747.