Just wanted to update. Had to go out today, came back to a ' removal at 5pm today' letter. Bit miffed as i hadnt had any reply to my text. However, i gave the bailiff a ring. He was fine once i explained i came under the vulnerable persons act, and changed his attitude with me. He has put the account on hold to 10 days to let me have time to send in my benefits letters, income and expenditure and what i can offer to pay. Couldnt have done it without the help i have had on here.

and the council will definatley take back the debt? based on what? the vunerable persons thing? The complaint im going to make?

Still nothing. No response to the text, no response to the email. No door knock.

I will speak and then write to the council on monday. I will also try to tackle the underpayment at the same time. what happened with regard to this underpayment occuring, was i was paid off from my employment following a claim of misconduct which was proven to be bullying. I took the pay off ( a small amount as it was a part time job. It was made of up 8 weeks wages and then 4 weeks wages as a gift which was no subject to tax nor NI. and a part which was to cover the legal costs. This was all done via solictor and is legal. I was honest and told the council about it. Because i had been ' let go' i would not have been able to claim any benefits for 6 months, which would have led to us ending up homeless. I went out and got a job and started working 6 weeks later. So, i was what they call ' double earning' The council either did not read the whole 50 page document, or didnt understand it, as they said i was double earning for 8 weeks. Which i wasnt. I was only double earning for 2, because some of my money was for legal costs and some was a ' gift' They ajusted everything months later, i paid back 900 in HB and now have this as well. I wrote to them in aug and never heard a reply back. I presumed it was still being looked into since i had heard nothing, and blindly stuck my head under the carpet. I work 20 hours a week on min wage. My earnings do not even cover my rent. I dont know really what they expect me to do here, but i cant find £400 from no where.

Does anyone have any kind of template for this? Im presuming proof would be my benefits statements? Im actually on such a low iincome i do get a tiny bit of council tax benefit, even though its not in this area any longer. Of course i do want to pay, i just cant pay and get it cleared off in the time scale they will no doubt suggest.

so - being vunerable under the national guidelines, what does that actually MEAN, for me? I hope they dont clamp anyone elses car, id feel horrified. My street is awful for parking, its literally nose to nose, both sides. Its not got a ' clearly outside your house so its your car' thing. what would i do if they did clamp someone elses car?

Ive not yet had any response to either the text i sent nor to the email i sent to their office. I understand they cant take anything as there is no levy and im just not going to answer the door. It is stll, however, scary. Does anyone know about this 24 hour notice thing, seeing as i have had no offer of repayment so far? Can i make a formal complaint to the council regarding this?

Brilliant, those will be very very helpful. I do not have a printer myself, but do have access to one tomorrow, so could print them and send them then. Im on my own with my young child, its just very scary. I feel quite scared.

Yes its for council tax. I need to pop out later, is it safe to do so? i feel really worried. I will speak to the council monday, first thing, but am just worried between now and then. What do i do if they turn up? what sort of thing are they likely to do? and was my text ok?

Hi I was pointed in the direction of your website and it has been very helpful. I am looking for advice, rather urgently, since i came home from work yesterday, to find a 24 hour removal notice through my door. This was a shock as the last contact i had with jacobs was back in aug 2013, the account was put on hold as i disputed it ( bit of a lon winded reason why, but it was a back dated change a few months after i left the property. I am a lone parent, working part time and my circumstances changed twice, propmpting all benefits to be recalculated, ending in this underpayment) Anyway, I do not have the funds, i have £30 in my bank account. The bailiff has never been into my house, nor, as far as i am aware, made any levy. I have not been given the chance to make any payment plan. ALl doors and windows are locked, burgler alarm is on, curtains closed and car parked a few streets away. I have text the bailiff on the letter, the following: I returned from work yesterday to find a 24 hours removal notice from yourselves. I am quite surprised by this as i have had no correspondance from you since august 2013 where my claim was disputed and put on hold. I do not believe this to be in line with policy and will be making a formal complaint to the council on monday. I al requesting that my account be handed back to the council under the protection of vunerable people act, so my income can be assesed to enable me to make weekly payments. Thirdly, since noone from jacobs has ever entered my property and no levy has been applied, no goods will be being removed. Please provide me will a full break down of ' costs' as detailed on your letter. I shall be emailing a copy of this to your office and to the council. Is that ok? I shall be speaking to the council on monday, but there isnt much i can do before then. And although my house is all locked, im pretty terrified. Can anyone offer any guidance, help. reassurance?