West Lothian Council Tax Debt Help

Struggling With West Lothian Council Tax?

West Lothian lies between Edinburgh and Falkirk, built around the former new town of Livingston and the older towns of Bathgate, Linlithgow, Broxburn and Uphall, Whitburn and Armadale. It is one of Scotland’s fastest-growing areas, so many households are newer to its bills. The council says its charges are among the lower ones in Scotland, but a 7.4% rise for 2026-27 still adds more than £2 a week at Band D, which can be enough to tip a tight budget into arrears. Wherever you live in West Lothian, the way council tax is billed and collected is the same, and if you have fallen behind, there are clear ways out. This page explains how the council operates, who it uses to recover arrears, 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 West Lothian 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 West Lothian Council

West Lothian Council is the unitary local authority for West Lothian, one of Scotland’s 32 councils. National Records of Scotland estimates its population at 187,240 on 30 June 2025, the 10th largest of any council area, and up almost 18% since 2001, the fourth fastest growth in Scotland. The council counts Armadale, Bathgate, Broxburn and Uphall, Linlithgow and Whitburn as its five traditional towns, with its administration in Livingston.

The council’s headquarters is West Lothian Civic Centre, Howden South Road, Livingston, EH54 6FF. The building is shared with Livingston Sheriff Court, Police Scotland and the Procurator Fiscal, so the council that bills you and the sheriff court that serves West Lothian sit under one roof.

The valuation band on your home is set by the Lothian Valuation Joint Board, the shared assessor for Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian, not by the council itself.

West Lothian council tax contact details

If you are worried about paying, the council asks you to call right away, and it is far better to do that than to wait for a reminder.

You can pay by Direct Debit, weekly or monthly over 10 or 12 months, online, by bank transfer, or at a Post Office or PayPoint. If ringing the council yourself feels difficult, we can speak to the council for you and help set up an arrangement.

Council tax in West Lothian

Council tax is an annual charge on domestic property, set each year by West Lothian 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 Lothian 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.

West Lothian council tax bands and charges 2026-27

For 2026-27, West Lothian Council increased council tax by 7.4% across all bands, taking the Band D council tax to £1,627.59, an increase of £112.14 a year. The council said most payers, around 62%, are in Bands A to C and would see rises of between £1.44 and £1.92 a week. The table below shows the council tax element on its own and then the full total once the Scottish Water charges are added. Band D is the standard reference band.

The council tax column is the West Lothian Council charge on its own, and the right-hand column adds the standard Scottish Water charges to give the full bill. 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, discounts and second homes

First, make sure your bill is as low as it should be. The right reduction can cut what you owe.

• Council Tax Reduction (CTR): a means-tested reduction of up to 100% for people on a low income. You apply to the council, separately from Universal Credit. The council points out that CTR does not cover water and sewerage charges, which you still need to pay.
• 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: full-time 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.

West Lothian also charges more for homes nobody lives in. Since 1 April 2024 a second home has been charged twice the full council tax for its band, and a home left empty for more than 12 months is charged double as well, though a discount may apply in some circumstances. The water and wastewater charges stay at the normal level. If you are charged a premium you do not think applies, ask the council to review it. Our empty dwellings guide explains the rules.

Business rates in West Lothian

Business rates, or non-domestic rates, are the commercial equivalent of council tax and are billed by West Lothian 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 Lothian Valuation Joint Board, multiplied by the poundage.

For 2026-27 the Scottish Government set three rates:

Many smaller businesses in West Lothian’s town centres 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. If a business falls behind, non-domestic rates are recovered in the same way as council tax, ending in a summary warrant that adds a 10% surcharge. Business rates enquiries go to businessrates@westlothian.gov.uk.

Which sheriff officers does the council use?

When council tax or business rates go unpaid and a summary warrant has been granted, West Lothian 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.

The council’s own published contracts register lists Alex M Adamson LLP as the supplier of its sheriff officer and debt collection services, under a contract that started on 1 October 2025 and runs to 30 September 2029. Alex M Adamson is an established Scottish sheriff officer firm with its head office in Falkirk. It works through Livingston Sheriff Court, which serves West Lothian and sits within the sheriffdom of Lothian and Borders.

If Alex M Adamson has contacted you about a West Lothian debt, our dedicated Alex M Adamson guide sets out 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 in West Lothian

West Lothian sets out its recovery steps on its own website, and it moves quickly:

1. Reminder notice. Miss an instalment and the council sends a statutory reminder asking you to make the missed payment within 7 days.
2. Loss of instalments. If you do not, you lose the right to pay the rest of the year by instalments after a further 7 days, and the full balance becomes due. By law only two reminders are issued in a year, so if you fall behind a third time you may not get another reminder.
3. Summary warrant. The council applies to the sheriff court for a summary warrant. There is no court hearing, and a statutory 10% penalty is added to what you owe.
4. Charge for payment. The sheriff officers serve a charge for payment, giving you 14 days to pay (28 if you are outside the UK).
5. Enforcement. The council lists what can follow: money taken from your wages, your bank account frozen, deductions from benefits, or goods attached and sold. Before an earnings arrestment you must receive a debt advice and information package, and with a bank arrestment the first £1,000 is protected.

If you owe the council more than one debt, such as council tax and rent, it aims to take a joined-up approach. You can offer payment at any stage, even after a summary warrant.

What to do if the council contacts you about arrears

Whether the letter comes from the council or from Alex M Adamson, 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 Alex M Adamson feels overwhelming, we can take it on for you with your permission and help you reach something affordable.

Solutions if you are struggling with West Lothian 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 West Lothian residents are:

• Special Payment Arrangement: an affordable plan put to the council or Alex M Adamson. Whether it is accepted is the council’s decision.
• Debt Arrangement Scheme: once a Debt Payment Programme is approved, an earnings arrestment is recalled.
• Trust deed: a protected trust deed ends an earnings arrestment from the date of protection.

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 West Lothian

Alongside our service, West Lothian has free advice available, including the council’s own team. You never need to pay for good council tax debt advice.

• West Lothian Council Advice Shop: the council’s free money advice service, which helps with council tax arrears and other debts, negotiates with creditors on your behalf and advises on bankruptcy. Call 01506 283000 or email advice.shop@westlothian.gov.uk.
• National Debtline: free confidential telephone debt advice, on 0808 808 4000.
• StepChange Debt Charity: free national debt advice, on 0800 138 1111.

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

West Lothian Council at a glance

Where to find free, impartial information

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

• West Lothian 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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