North Lanarkshire Council Tax Debt Help

Struggling With North Lanarkshire Council Tax?

North Lanarkshire runs from Cumbernauld and Kilsyth in the north through Coatbridge and Airdrie to Motherwell, Wishaw, Bellshill and Shotts in the south. It is one of Scotland’s largest council areas, and although it has among the lowest council tax rates in the country, arrears still catch many households out when money is tight. This page explains how North Lanarkshire Council bills and collects council tax, who it uses to recover arrears, what happens at each stage, and how to get a debt back under control before it reaches a wage arrestment.

How we can help:

• We deal with the council and its sheriff officers for you
• We help you agree a realistic, affordable payment plan
• We set out every debt solution open to North Lanarkshire residents
• We can help stop or avoid a wage arrestment
• Free, confidential help – with no obligation

Watch: how council tax recovery and sheriff action works in Scotland, and how to stop it.

About North Lanarkshire Council

North Lanarkshire Council is the local authority for a large part of central Scotland, east of Glasgow, and is the fourth most populous council area in the country, serving around 345,000 people and roughly 154,000 households. It is a unitary authority, responsible for the full range of local services, and covers a spread of towns rather than a single centre, including Motherwell, Cumbernauld, Coatbridge, Airdrie, Wishaw, Bellshill, Kilsyth and Shotts.

Much of the area grew up around heavy industry and steel, and the council today places a strong emphasis on tackling poverty and keeping council tax comparatively low. Council tax and business rates are billed and collected by the council’s Revenues service, which also handles discounts, Council Tax Reduction and the recovery of arrears. The council’s headquarters is the Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell, ML1 1AB.

North Lanarkshire council tax contact details

These are the council’s main contact points for council tax. If you are worried about paying, it is far better to make contact early than to wait for a reminder.

You can pay by Direct Debit (on the 1st, 7th, 14th, 21st or 28th of the month), online, on the automated card line, at a Post Office or PayPoint with a council tax card, or by home banking. If ringing the council yourself feels difficult, we can speak to the Revenues team for you and help set up an arrangement.

Council tax in North Lanarkshire

Council tax is an annual charge on domestic property, set each year by North Lanarkshire Council. What you pay depends on the valuation band of your home, which reflects its value on 1 April 1991. In North Lanarkshire the band is set by the Lanarkshire Valuation Joint Board, a shared assessor covering both North and South Lanarkshire, rather than by the council itself. Your bill also includes separate water and wastewater charges, which the council collects on behalf of Scottish Water.

Bills are issued in spring for the year that begins on 1 April, and are usually spread across 10 monthly instalments. If you want to understand the wider system, who is liable and how billing works, see our guides to council tax in Scotland, council tax liability and billing and collection.

North Lanarkshire council tax bands and charges 2026-27

For 2026-27, North Lanarkshire Council increased council tax by 7%. North Lanarkshire shows the council element of the bill separately from the Scottish Water charges, so the table below gives both: the council tax on its own, and the total once the water and wastewater charges are added. Band D is the standard reference band.

The council tax column is the North Lanarkshire charge on its own, and the right-hand column adds the standard Scottish Water charges to give the full bill. Even after the 2026-27 rise, North Lanarkshire remains one of the lower council tax areas in Scotland. If you think your home is in the wrong band, you can check it on the Scottish Assessors website and, in limited circumstances, ask for a review, though a review can move a band up as well as down. Our council tax valuation guide explains how bands and challenges work.

Reductions and discounts in North Lanarkshire

Before worrying about arrears, make sure your bill is as low as it should be. North Lanarkshire Council offers a range of reductions, and claiming the right one can cut what you owe and make catching up far easier.

• Council Tax Reduction (CTR): a means-tested reduction of up to 100% for people on a low income, usually with savings under £16,000. You apply through the council’s benefits system or Open Portal. CTR reduces the council tax element only, not the water and wastewater charges, which have their own separate reduction.
• Single person discount (25%): if you are the only adult in the property, you can claim a 25% reduction. North Lanarkshire runs periodic reviews of this discount, so keep your details up to date.
• Disabled band reduction: if a resident needs an extra room, an additional bathroom or space to use a wheelchair indoors because of a disability, the bill can be charged one band lower, with a reduction also available in Band A. Apply on 01698 403210. See our disabled band reduction guide.
• Other discounts and exemptions: students, apprentices, carers and people with a severe mental impairment can be disregarded, and some properties are exempt. Our council tax discounts guide explains who qualifies.

North Lanarkshire has also used its powers on second homes: since 1 April 2024 a second home is charged at 200% of the standard rate, in line with the council’s approach to long-term empty homes. If you are being charged a premium you do not think applies, or you have been paying full price when a discount was due, raise it with the council straight away.

Business rates in North Lanarkshire

Business rates, or non-domestic rates, are the commercial equivalent of council tax and are billed by North Lanarkshire Council. The rate itself, the poundage, is set nationally by the Scottish Government and is the same across the country. Your bill is the rateable value of your premises, set by the Lanarkshire Valuation Joint Board, multiplied by the poundage.

For 2026-27 the Scottish Government set three rates:

Many smaller North Lanarkshire businesses pay little or nothing through the Small Business Bonus Scheme, which can give 100% relief on a single property with a rateable value up to £12,000, with tapered relief up to £20,000. Other reliefs, including charity, empty property and Fresh Start relief, may also apply. Business rates enquiries go to 01698 403212 or businessrates@northlan.gov.uk, and you can pay and manage the account online.

If a business falls behind, North Lanarkshire sends a reminder giving 7 days, then the full balance becomes due, then it applies for a summary warrant that adds a 10% surcharge, and the account is passed to its sheriff officers, Walker Love, to collect. If your business is behind on its rates, the same early action and the same support apply as for council tax.

Which sheriff officers does North Lanarkshire Council use?

When council tax or business rates go unpaid and a summary warrant has been granted, North Lanarkshire Council passes the account to sheriff officers to collect. Sheriff officers are officers of the court, not private bailiffs, and their powers are set by Scottish law. North Lanarkshire’s arrangement is a little different from the big cities, and worth understanding.

For business rates, the council names its sheriff officers on its own website as Walker Love.

For council tax, the council does not name a firm on its public pages. Instead, its sheriff officer work is split by sheriff court district: North Lanarkshire falls under two courts, Hamilton in the south and Airdrie in the north. Under the council’s most recent published contract this work was divided between Fraser Irvine Sheriff Officers for the Hamilton area and Malcolm J Boyd Sheriff Officers for the Airdrie area, and the contract was re-tendered in late 2025. Whichever firm contacts you, their powers and the way to deal with them are the same.

If a sheriff officer has contacted you about a North Lanarkshire debt, the important thing is not which firm it is but how you respond. You can see how sheriff officers work, what they can and cannot do, and every firm that acts for Scottish councils on our sheriff officers and council tax hub.

What happens if you fall behind with North Lanarkshire Council

North Lanarkshire follows the standard Scottish recovery process, and describes it in plain terms on its own website. Knowing the stages helps you see where you are and how much room you still have to act.

1. The 7-day letter. Miss an instalment and the council sends a reminder, giving you 7 days to bring the account up to date.
2. The 14-day letter. If it is not paid, you receive a demand for the full year’s balance, and you lose the right to keep paying by instalments.
3. Summary warrant. The council applies to the sheriff court for a summary warrant, which is granted without a hearing and adds a statutory 10% surcharge to what you owe.
4. Sheriff officer enforcement. The account is passed to the council’s sheriff officers, who can serve a charge for payment giving you 14 days, and then carry out enforcement (diligence).
5. Diligence. The council specifically lists wage (earnings) arrestment and bank account arrestment as the actions its sheriff officers can take. Attachment of goods kept outside the home is also possible, and deductions from certain benefits can be requested.

Because the 10% surcharge and the sheriff officer fees are fixed by law, acting early is what keeps the cost down. You can offer payment at any stage, even after a summary warrant, and doing so as soon as possible gives you the most control. Our billing and collection guide covers the process in more depth.

What to do if North Lanarkshire Council contacts you about arrears

Whether the letter comes from the council or from one of its sheriff officers, the sensible steps are the same.

1. Open it and act. Council tax arrears do not go away, and ignoring letters only moves the debt further along the recovery process.
2. Check it is right. Make sure the debt is yours, for the correct property and year, and that any discount, exemption or Council Tax Reduction you are due has been applied.
3. Ask for identification. A genuine sheriff officer carries a formal identity document, and you are entitled to see it before you deal with them.
4. Do not overcommit. Only agree to what you can genuinely afford, because a broken arrangement usually leads straight to a wage arrestment.
5. Get advice and set up a plan. A realistic arrangement, the Debt Arrangement Scheme or another solution is what actually stops enforcement.

If dealing with the council or its sheriff officers feels overwhelming, we can take it on for you with your permission and help you reach something affordable.

Solutions if you are struggling with North Lanarkshire council tax debt

The most effective way to deal with sheriff officers is to resolve the arrears behind the enforcement. Depending on your circumstances, the main routes for North Lanarkshire residents are:

Not sure which fits your situation? See our wage arrestment solutions overview, or get in touch and we will talk it through, free and with no obligation.

Free debt advice in North Lanarkshire

Alongside our service, North Lanarkshire has a strong network of free advice, including the council’s own money advice service. You never need to pay for good council tax debt advice.

• North Lanarkshire Council Tackling Poverty Team: the council’s own free money advice, welfare rights and financial inclusion service, on 01698 332551 or TPteam@northlan.gov.uk.
• Airdrie Citizens Advice Bureau: free debt and benefits advice for the north of the area, on 01236 754109.
• Motherwell and Wishaw Citizens Advice Bureau: free advice for the south of the area, on freephone 0808 196 9180.
• Coatbridge and Cumbernauld and Kilsyth Citizens Advice Bureaux: further free money and debt advice for those towns.
• National Debtline: free confidential telephone debt advice, on 0808 808 4000.

These services are independent and free. We work alongside this kind of support and can help you take the practical steps that stop enforcement.

North Lanarkshire Council at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Where to find free, impartial information

As well as speaking to us, you can check your rights with these independent, official sources:

• North Lanarkshire Council – Council Tax
• mygov.scot – Council Tax (Scottish Government)
• mygov.scot – Sheriff officer powers and your rights
• Citizens Advice Scotland – Debt and money
• mygov.scot – Non-domestic rates guidance

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