Dyledus: Profiadau o ôl-ddyledion treth gyngor yng Nghymru | Indebted: experiences of council tax arrears in Wales

Dyledus: Profiadau o ôl-ddyledion treth gyngor yng Nghymru 1.42 MB

Ôl-ddyledion y dreth gyngor yw’r mater dyled mwyaf cyffredin a welwn yn Cyngor ar Bopeth yng Nghymru. Dyma'r gost sefydlog fwyaf sydd gan y rhan fwyaf o aelwydydd ar ôl tai, gall pobl fod ar ei hôl hi gyda’u taliadau treth gyngor os bydd eu costau byw hanfodol eraill yn dechrau rhoi straen ar eu cyllidebau.

Fodd bynnag, yn hytrach na helpu pobl i fynd yn ôl ar y trywydd iawn, mae’r rheoliadau presennol sy’n llywodraethu casglu dyledion y dreth gyngor, ochr yn ochr â phwysau cyllidebol sy’n ysgogi casgliadau yn ystod y flwyddyn, yn golygu bod llawer o bobl yn wynebu dulliau adfer a all waethygu problemau dyled a dwysáu ansicrwydd ariannol. 

Gyda’r niferoedd uchaf erioed o bobl yn dod atom ar hyn o bryd am gyngor ar ddyledion y dreth gyngor, roeddem am gael gwell dealltwriaeth o ba ffactorau, os o gwbl, sy’n atal pobl rhag ad-dalu eu hôl-ddyledion treth gyngor. Rhwng mis Chwefror a mis Mawrth 2022, fe wnaethom gynnal ymchwil i glywed yn uniongyrchol gan bobl a oedd ar ei hôl hi gyda thaliadau’r dreth gyngor am eu profiadau o ymdrin ag ôl-ddyledion y dreth gyngor. 

O ystyried yr anawsterau ariannol y mae llawer o aelwydydd yn parhau i’w hwynebu eleni, mae’n hollbwysig bod camau’n cael eu cymryd i sicrhau bod pobl yn cael eu trin yn deg pan fyddant ar ei hôl hi gyda’u treth gyngor.

Indebted: experiences of council tax arrears in Wales  1.42 MB

Council tax arrears are the most common debt issue we see at Citizens Advice in Wales. As the biggest fixed cost most households have after housing, people can risk falling behind on their council tax payments if their other essential living costs start to strain their budgets. 

However, rather than help people to get back on track, current regulations governing council tax debt collection, alongside budget pressures that drive in-year collections, mean many people face recovery methods that can worsen debt problems and exacerbate financial insecurity. 

With record numbers of people currently coming to us for advice on council tax debt we wanted to gain a better understanding of what factors, if any, are getting in the way of people paying back their council tax arrears. During February to March 2022 we conducted research to hear directly from people who had fallen behind on council tax payments about their experiences of dealing with council tax arrears. 

Given the financial difficulties many households continue to face this year, it is critical that steps are taken to ensure people are treated fairly when they fall behind on their council tax.