Struggling With South Lanarkshire Council Tax?
South Lanarkshire Council collects council tax and business rates, and uses sheriff officers to recover arrears.
If you fall behind, the council can obtain a summary warrant and pass the debt to its sheriff officers, Stirling Park, to enforce. There are clear, legal ways to deal with this, including stopping or avoiding a wage arrestment.
South Lanarkshire covers a lot of ground, from Rutherglen, Cambuslang and Blantyre on Glasgow’s doorstep, through Hamilton, East Kilbride and Larkhall, out to Carluke, Lanark and the rural Clydesdale countryside. Wherever you live in the area, the council bills and collects council tax the same way, and if you have fallen behind, the same routes out are open to you. This page explains how South Lanarkshire Council operates, 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 South Lanarkshire residents
- We can help stop or avoid a wage arrestment
- Free, confidential help – with no obligation
Struggling with South Lanarkshire Council tax? We can help you understand your options.
No obligation
★★★★★ Rated 5 stars on Google
Watch: how council tax recovery and sheriff action works in Scotland, and how to stop it.
Please note: The information on this page is general and is intended to help you understand your rights and options. It is not a substitute for regulated financial or legal advice about your specific circumstances. Our service is free to use and there is no obligation. We can talk you through the options and, where appropriate, contact South Lanarkshire Council or its sheriff officers on your behalf, or introduce you to a suitable provider.
On this page
- About South Lanarkshire Council
- South Lanarkshire council tax contact details
- Council tax in South Lanarkshire
- South Lanarkshire council tax bands and charges
- Reductions and discounts
- Business rates in South Lanarkshire
- Which sheriff officers does South Lanarkshire use?
- What happens if you fall behind
- What to do if the council contacts you
- Solutions if you are struggling
- Free debt advice in South Lanarkshire
- South Lanarkshire Council at a glance
- Frequently asked questions
- Free, impartial information
About South Lanarkshire Council
South Lanarkshire Council is the local authority for a large area of central and southern Scotland, and describes itself as the fifth largest council in the country, serving around 334,000 people and roughly 150,000 households. It is a unitary authority, responsible for the full range of local services, and it has an unusual geography: busy towns near Glasgow in the north, such as Rutherglen, Cambuslang, Blantyre, Hamilton and East Kilbride, alongside a large rural south around Lanark and Clydesdale.
Council tax and business rates are billed and collected by the council’s Finance and Corporate Resources service, which also handles discounts, Council Tax Reduction and the recovery of arrears. The valuation band on your home is set by the Lanarkshire Valuation Joint Board, the Assessor shared with North Lanarkshire, rather than by the council itself. The council’s headquarters is the Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton, ML3 0AA.
South Lanarkshire council tax contact details
South Lanarkshire handles most council tax enquiries through its contact centre and online forms rather than a dedicated council tax phone line. If you are worried about paying, it is far better to make contact early than to wait for a reminder.
| Contact centre | 0303 123 1015 (general enquiries, including council tax) |
| Automated payment line (24 hours) | 0303 123 1005 (card payments) |
| Benefits and Council Tax Reduction | 0303 123 1011 |
| Online account and payments | southlanarkshire.gov.uk |
| Correspondence | Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton, ML3 0AA |
You can pay by Direct Debit, online by card, on the automated payment line, or by other methods set out on the council website. If ringing the council yourself feels difficult, we can speak to the council for you and help set up an arrangement.
Council tax in South Lanarkshire
Council tax is an annual charge on domestic property, set each year by South Lanarkshire Council. What you pay depends on the valuation band of your home, which reflects its value on 1 April 1991 and is set by the Lanarkshire Valuation Joint Board, not by the council. 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 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.
South Lanarkshire council tax bands and charges 2026-27
For 2026-27, South Lanarkshire Council increased the council tax element by 6.5%, with Scottish Water charges rising separately. The council publishes the full bill including water, 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.
| Band | 1991 value | Council tax | Total 2026-27 (incl. water) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £27,000 | £978.98 | £1,413.86 |
| B | £27,001 to £35,000 | £1,142.14 | £1,649.50 |
| C | £35,001 to £45,000 | £1,305.31 | £1,885.15 |
| D | £45,001 to £58,000 | £1,468.47 | £2,120.79 |
| E | £58,001 to £80,000 | £1,929.41 | £2,726.69 |
| F | £80,001 to £106,000 | £2,386.26 | £3,328.50 |
| G | £106,001 to £212,000 | £2,875.75 | £3,962.95 |
| H | Over £212,000 | £3,597.75 | £4,902.39 |
The council tax column is the South Lanarkshire charge on its own, and the right-hand column adds the standard Scottish Water charges to give the full bill. South Lanarkshire’s council tax sits below the Scottish average. 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 South Lanarkshire
Before worrying about arrears, make sure your bill is as low as it should be. South 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 can check and apply through the council, and the reduction is credited straight to your council tax account. The benefits team is on 0303 123 1011. 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.
- 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. 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.
South Lanarkshire has also used its powers on empty and second homes. Since 1 April 2024 a second home is charged at 200% of the standard rate, and a home left empty for more than 12 months is also charged at 200%, though a reduced charge can apply for a while if the property is genuinely being marketed for sale or let. 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.
Behind on your South Lanarkshire council tax? The sooner you act, the more options you have.
Business rates in South Lanarkshire
Business rates, or non-domestic rates, are the commercial equivalent of council tax and are billed by South 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:
| Rate | Rateable value | Poundage 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Property Rate | Up to £51,000 | 48.1p |
| Intermediate Property Rate | £51,001 to £100,000 | 53.5p |
| Higher Property Rate | Over £100,000 | 54.8p |
Many smaller South 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 0303 123 1013, and rates payments are sent to PO Box 3591, Glasgow, G73 9ED, or made online. Businesses in the Hamilton and Lanark town centres also fall within a Business Improvement District and pay a separate BID levy, which the council collects alongside rates.
If a business falls behind, non-domestic rates are recovered in the same way as council tax, through a summary warrant that adds a 10% surcharge and enforcement by the council’s sheriff officers. If your business is behind on its rates, the same early action and the same support apply.
Which sheriff officers does South Lanarkshire Council use?
When council tax or business rates go unpaid and a summary warrant has been granted, South 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.
South Lanarkshire names its sheriff officers on its own website as Stirling Park, based at 25 Bank Street, Kilmarnock, KA1 1HA, with a collections line on 01563 546518. Stirling Park is a long-established Scottish sheriff officer firm, and the same firm also acts for a number of other Scottish councils. This is a point of difference from some neighbouring areas: Glasgow and Edinburgh use Scott & Co and Walker Love, while South Lanarkshire uses Stirling Park.
If Stirling Park has contacted you about a South Lanarkshire debt, our dedicated Stirling Park guide sets out exactly who they are, the enforcement they can use, the fees they can add and how to stop them. You can also see every firm that acts for Scottish councils on our sheriff officers and council tax hub.
What happens if you fall behind with South Lanarkshire Council
South Lanarkshire follows the standard Scottish recovery process and sets out clear stages on its own website. Knowing them helps you see where you are and how much room you still have to act.
- Reminder notice. Miss an instalment and the council sends a reminder, giving you 7 days to pay. You can receive up to two reminders in a financial year.
- Loss of the right to pay by instalments. If you do not pay within 7 days, you lose the right to pay monthly and the full balance for the rest of the year becomes due.
- Final notice. After two reminders in the same year, or a missed payment after 31 December, the council issues a final notice demanding the full balance within 14 days.
- 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.
- Sheriff officer enforcement or benefit deductions. The council either passes the account to Stirling Park, who can add their own fees and pursue a wage (earnings) arrestment or bank arrestment, or asks for deductions to be taken from certain benefits.
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.
Had a final notice, a summary warrant, or a letter from Stirling Park? We can help you deal with it.
What to do if South Lanarkshire Council contacts you about arrears
Whether the letter comes from the council or from Stirling Park, the sensible steps are the same.
- Open it and act. Council tax arrears do not go away, and ignoring letters only moves the debt further along the recovery process.
- 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.
- Ask for identification. A genuine sheriff officer carries a formal identity document, and you are entitled to see it before you deal with them.
- Do not overcommit. Only agree to what you can genuinely afford, because a broken arrangement usually leads straight to a wage arrestment.
- 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 Stirling Park feels overwhelming, we can take it on for you with your permission and help you reach something affordable.
Solutions if you are struggling with South 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 South Lanarkshire residents are:
Free help to understand where you stand and the options open to you.
An affordable instalment plan agreed with the council to prevent enforcement.
A statutory scheme that can stop an existing wage arrestment and freeze interest.
A formal insolvency solution for larger debts that can remove an arrestment.
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 South Lanarkshire
Alongside our service, South 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.
- Money Matters Advice Service: South Lanarkshire Council’s own free, confidential money and debt advice service, on 0300 029 0041. It can help with income maximisation, the Debt Arrangement Scheme, token payments and formal solutions.
- Hamilton Citizens Advice Bureau: free debt and benefits advice, on 01698 283477.
- East Kilbride Citizens Advice Bureau: free advice for the East Kilbride area, on 01355 263698.
- Rutherglen and Cambuslang Citizens Advice Bureau: free advice for the north of the area, on 0141 646 3191.
- Clydesdale Citizens Advice Bureau (Lanark): free advice for Lanark and rural Clydesdale, on 01555 664301.
These services are independent and free. We work alongside this kind of support and can help you take the practical steps that stop enforcement.
South Lanarkshire Council at a glance
| Authority | South Lanarkshire Council, a unitary authority in central and southern Scotland (the fifth largest council area) |
| Headquarters | Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton, ML3 0AA |
| Contact centre | 0303 123 1015 |
| Main towns | Hamilton, East Kilbride, Rutherglen, Cambuslang, Blantyre, Larkhall, Carluke, Lanark |
| Band D charge 2026-27 | £2,120.79 including water and wastewater (£1,468.47 council tax) |
| Council tax increase 2026-27 | 6.5% on the council tax element |
| Business rates | Poundage set nationally: 48.1p, 53.5p or 54.8p by rateable value |
| Sheriff officers used | Stirling Park (Kilmarnock) |
| For arrears, the council uses | A summary warrant, adding a statutory 10% surcharge |
| Most common enforcement | A wage (earnings) arrestment or bank arrestment |
| Can it be stopped? | Yes. A payment arrangement, Debt Arrangement Scheme or trust deed can stop or avoid enforcement. |
Frequently asked questions
How do I contact South Lanarkshire Council about council tax?
South Lanarkshire handles council tax through its contact centre on 0303 123 1015 and its online forms rather than a dedicated council tax line. There is a 24-hour automated payment line on 0303 123 1005, and the benefits team is on 0303 123 1011. If your query is about arrears, we can contact the council on your behalf.
Which sheriff officers does South Lanarkshire Council use?
South Lanarkshire names Stirling Park as its sheriff officers, based in Kilmarnock with a collections line on 01563 546518. Stirling Park recovers council tax and business rates arrears for the council once a summary warrant has been granted.
Can South Lanarkshire Council take money from my wages?
Yes. Once the council has a summary warrant, Stirling Park can set up an earnings (wage) arrestment, where your employer takes a fixed amount from your pay. The amount is set by law, and a wage arrestment can be stopped or avoided with the right arrangement or debt solution.
How many reminders does South Lanarkshire send before a summary warrant?
You can receive up to two reminders in a financial year, each giving 7 days to pay. After a second reminder, or a missed payment after 31 December, the council issues a final notice for the full balance within 14 days, and can then apply for a summary warrant with a 10% surcharge.
I cannot pay my South Lanarkshire council tax. What should I do?
Act early. Contact the council on 0303 123 1015 or ask us to do it for you, check whether you qualify for Council Tax Reduction or a discount, and try to agree an affordable arrangement before a summary warrant is issued. The council’s own Money Matters Advice Service and local Citizens Advice Bureaux can also help, free.
Does this apply to business rates too?
Yes. Business rates in South Lanarkshire follow the same summary warrant route, with the 10% surcharge and enforcement by Stirling Park. If your business is behind, the same early action and support apply.
Where to find free, impartial information
As well as speaking to us, you can check your rights with these independent, official sources:
- South 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
« Back to council tax in Scotland | Sheriff officers and council tax | See all wage arrestment solutions
Struggling with South Lanarkshire Council tax?
Our team can explain your rights and options, free and with no obligation.