Universal Credit and non payment of council tax. Won't pay? Can't pay

With many people falling through what is supposed to be a safety net of our welfare system, I am seriously worried about people losing their homes because they can't afford to pay their council tax.

If you are eligible for Universal Credit, you could wait at least five weeks to get it. Anyone who has ever tried to survive without an income for one week, never mind five will know the trauma that results.

People with no income and no savings resort to expensive money lenders and deciding between heating and eating. It's a desperate state to be in.

No one likes paying their council tax, but we all recognise we do this because we want good council run services. But there's a difference between the won't payers and the can't payers.

In the past 20 months Rossendales, the enforcement agents used by Northumberland County Council have recovered £1.14m in unpaid council tax. £300,000 of this was recovered using enforcement – that what was known as the bailiffs to you and me.

I welcome the council recovering unpaid council tax from the people who won't pay but I am worried about people who can't pay, especially when they're waiting for the Universal Credit to come through.

Losing your home on top of everything else could be the last straw for vulnerable, poor people