Help! Wages arrestment

Kimmarie11 · 9 September 2011 at 2:17AM

Hi everyone,

I have been sent a letter of arrestment of earnings. Do I call the court to ask for more time? Or the debt company who are actually handling the matter on behalf of the council to whom I owe the debt to?
Also, the employer stated on the letter of arrestment is not actually my employer, but actually a previous employer?
To make things even worse, the employer i am now with is the council I owe the debt to! Can my employer discipline me for something like this? I am worried. I am fully prepared to pay as much as I can, I'm afraid I have just ignored things too long. Regret that!

Any helpful answers would be greatly appreciated.

hattybee · 9 September 2011 at 3:16PM

May be a disciplinary matter – but will depend on your contract of employment, it’s not automatic.
Would be a good idea to go down to your local CAB and discuss your best option to repay your council tax arrears. Or phone one of the other debt charities. You may be able to apply for a time to pay order or informal debt-payment agreement, depending on how much you owe, how much you can afford to pay, other debts etc.
Goes without saying that they can’t arrest your wages if you’re no longer an employee. But your old employers may already have told the debt company where you are working now (if they know). Or the council may have worked it out for themselves. They can then go ahead with a new earnings arrestment. So act quickly.