Council Tax summons

You will receive a summons if:

  • you didn't pay the correct amount
  • you didn't pay on time on more than one occasion
  • your payments didn't reach your council tax account on time

The summons will state the amount you owe and a court hearing date. Details of what to do next are below.

What to do when you receive a summons

The easiest way to pay what you owe is to either:

  • Pay the full amount that you owe, including the summons costs. If you pay in full before the court date you will avoid incurring the £5 Liability Order costs. (How much do I owe?)
  • Pay the instalments shown on the letter included with your summons. This option costs £5 more in total than paying in full. (How much are my instalments?)

There is no need to contact us, just make the payment using the link below.

Pay your Council Tax online

To pay by phone call 020 8424 1220. You will need to have your Council Tax Reference number.

For other payment methods, see Paying your council tax.

What to do if you cannot pay the summons

If you cannot pay either of the above options, please contact us using the form below. The form will ask you to make an offer of payment for the council's consideration.

You will be able to choose from the following options:

  1. Pay missed instalment(s) plus summons costs and return to instalment plan (See an example)
  2. Request a payment plan for up to 6 months. This will only be considered if you receive a qualifying benefit.
  3. Request that money is taken from my earnings.
  4. Request that money is taken from my benefits.
  5. None of the above

If you select 'None of the above' you will need to provide your financial information to make an offer of payment. If your offer is refused, the council will decide what further recovery action to take.

Before you start

  • You will need to have your Council Tax Reference Number
  • If you choose 2 or 4 from the above options, you will need to have your National Insurance number. You will be asked to upload your benefit award letter.
  • If you choose option 3 you will need to have your Employer's details and your payroll number. You will be asked to upload up to 3 recent payslips
  • If you choose option 5 you will need to provide financial information including all your monthly income and outgoings. You should prepare this before starting the form.
  • If you want to pay by Direct Debit you will need your bank account details.

Request a Council Tax payment plan

What will happen if no payment plan is agreed?

The council will ask the court for a liability order. This allows us to recover the debt using different methods including enforcement agents. You will receive a liability order asking you to pay the balance within 14 days. For more details see how we recover Council Tax debts.