Knowsley Council Tax Bailiffs: The Two Firms, and What Happens Next

What happens if you don't pay Knowsley council tax

Knowsley sets out its recovery as a step-by-step process. A missed instalment brings a reminder; if that is not put right, the right to pay by instalments is lost and the whole year's balance becomes due, followed by a summons and then a liability order from the magistrates. That order is the point at which the account can be passed to one of the council's two firms. What an agent may do after that, and the national fee stages, are covered in our council tax bailiffs guide rather than repeated here.

The two firms Knowsley uses for council tax

Knowsley names the companies it instructs, and there are two: Marston Holdings, on 0333 320 1822, and Jacobs, on 0345 601 2692. The council does not say which accounts go to which, so either could be the name on your letter, and the number printed on it is the reliable guide. Our profiles for Marston and Jacobs set out what the firm handling your case is and is not allowed to do.

The fee stages, and the May 2026 increase

A useful detail Knowsley publishes is the timing of the fee change. Its page explains that the enforcement fees an agent can charge rose on 1 May 2026, describing it as the first increase since 2014, and shows the higher figures that now apply. Those fees are set nationally rather than by Knowsley, and our guide carries the current stages in full; the point worth taking from the council's page is simply that a letter dated before or after that change may show different amounts.

Telling Knowsley's agents you're vulnerable

Knowsley's page is clear that an agent must take extra care with anyone vulnerable, and asks you to tell the agent as soon as possible if that applies. Once confirmed, the firm can move the case to its welfare team, which looks at an affordable payment arrangement and can signpost financial advice. A vulnerability the agent does not know about cannot be taken into account, so raising it early, with any supporting evidence, is what makes the difference.

Complaints about Knowsley, and help if you're struggling

A complaint about how Knowsley handled the account goes through the council's own complaints procedure, and from there to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. A complaint about the conduct of Marston or Jacobs, rather than the council's decision to refer, can go to the firm's welfare team first and then to the Enforcement Conduct Board, which oversees private enforcement. Knowsley's Council Tax Reduction scheme can lower the bill for residents on a low income, so it is worth claiming before a case moves toward court.