21-05-2025
York MP calls for crackdown on 'rogue' bailiffs after disabled man 'threatened'
An MP has called for a crackdown on "rogue bailiffs" after claims a constituent was threatened with the removal of disability equipment and another left without carpets.
Luke Charters said firms should be put on a statutory footing to drive up standards in the industry.
The Labour MP for York Outer said vulnerable people were being made to feel "absolutely petrified in their own homes".
Mr Charters introduced the Regulations of Bailiffs Bill through a 10-minute rule motion in parliament. It would require the Secretary of State to publish an assessment of the effectiveness of current regulations, and report to Parliament on the potential merits of statutory regulation.
He said: "We are in this place to speak up, when others can't, to put right what is clearly wrong.
"This Bill, to get a grip on rogue bailiffs, does exactly that."
During his speech, Mr Charters raised the case of his constituent, Adam, who "got into debt through falling behind on council tax and card repayments after losing an agency job and struggling to find new work".
He added: "As is often the case with rogue bailiffs, the visits were aggressive and intimidating. One forced his foot into the door, threatening to come in and, of course, this breaks virtually every rule in the book.
"Adam told me, 'it was like someone was trying to boot down the door'. He immediately told the bailiff that he had a disability and was classed as vulnerable. The bailiff said he didn't care and would take away Adam's belongings regardless.
"The bailiff saying he didn't care - what cruelty. The enforcement system is broken and punishes those already struggling when rules allow such passive, cruel indifference to people in crisis."
Mr Charters said the bailiff also threatened to take away Adam's "government-funded equipment for his disability, a specially adapted device".
According to Citizens Advice, one in three people who have had contact with a bailiff have experienced behaviour that breaks Ministry of Justice expectations.
"And even among the bailiffs that are regulated under their current scope, 1% of visits were deemed too aggressive by the ECB (Enforcement Conduct Board). And by the way, that would equate to hundreds, if not thousands of visits a year.
"That is why we need a fair and proportionate debt collection system."
Mr Charters also referred to another constituent, Michael, a soon-to-be father who was "left without carpet, with a broken bed and a broken boiler".
He said Michael was involved in a "horrific" motorbike accident which left him "bedridden" and "getting by on sick pay alone" after losing his job.
"Michael went from being a homeowner with a near perfect credit score to nearly losing everything, and I'm pleased to say that he's back on his feet and, although he's still paying the debt off, he is hoping to clear it soon,"
The MP concluded his speech by suggesting that while the Enforcement Conduct Board do a good job, there are many bailiffs not in their perimeter.
The ECB was set up in 2022, with ministers of the then-Conservative government promising to review whether it needs to be put on a statutory footing within two years.
