Bailiffs stop repossessions during covid-19 crisis and help out NHS

Bailiffs stop repossessions during coronavirus crisis and start volunteering for the NHS using their vans to help deliver essential supplies

• As the coronavirus crisis heightens, bailiffs have taken unprecedented steps 
• All repossessions will be stopped as the country comes together as one force 
• Bailiffs will instead use their vans to deliver essential supplies and help the NHS
• An announcement was made amid rumours debts were still being collected
• READ: Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for deadly coronavirus 
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

Bailiffs around the country will take the unprecedented action of stopping all repossessions during the coronavirus crisis, as Britain desperately tries to battle back against the rapidly spreading virus.

The head of the UK’s bailiff association has confirmed that debt collections will be put on hold, and in extraordinary measures bailiffs will instead use their vans to deliver essential supplies and volunteer with the NHS. 

Russell Hamblin-Boone, chief executive of the Civil Enforcement Association, made the announcement after rumours started circulating that debts were still being called in despite the coronavirus lockdown.

Bailiffs around the country will take the unprecedented action of stopping all repossessions

‘Despite the false information circulated by debt advice charities, enforcement agents are not enforcing debts,’ he said, as report the Mirror.

‘Many agents are working with the NHS to support the voluntary initiative and many firms have changed the use of their fleet vehicles to support deliveries of supplies.’

‘The only activity relating to unpaid bills they are still carrying out was to offer extensions.

‘Where people are being contacted it is to extend payment plans or offer payment holidays,’ Hamblin-Boone added. 

Further clarity was outlined in a letter produced by the bailiffs association and sent to Local Government Minister Robert Jenrick to outline the changing situation.

‘In the last week, since the CIVEA guidance was published and government advice updated, there has been a complete suspension of enforcement visits, whether to recover unpaid court fines, penalty charge notices, council tax or non-domestic business rates.

‘Where a skeleton staff continues to operate remotely, local authorities have requested that a Iight-touch communication is maintained. This is primarily identifying vulnerable people and offering extensions to repayment plans and payment holidays.’

With regards the assistance of the National Health Service, it was also detailed how certain vehicles used within the day-to-day work of debt collection have instead been registered for the use of NHS volunteers. 

The letter adds: ‘Where agents and contact centre staff have been furloughed, firms are allowing staff to volunteer to support the NHS voluntary initiative. In many cases, firms have registered fleet vehicles for change of use to be used by volunteers.’

It is also noted that it could be many months before normal service resumes, with bailiffs association placing no set time limit on their revised operations.

Britain’s coronavirus death toll jumped on Friday to 578 after 113 more fatalities were confirmed across the home nations, making it the UK’s darkest day yet in the escalating outbreak – with a victim killed every 13 minutes.

Health officials also announced more than 2,100 new patients had tested positive for the life-threatening infection, meaning almost 12,000 cases of COVID-19 have now been recorded in Britain. 

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