Push to regulate UK bailiffs too slow, warns supervisory body

The UK government faces mounting criticism over the slow pace of introducing mandatory regulation for bailiffs, an industry that collects more than £1bn annually from indebted households.

A year after the Ministry of Justice announced it would legislate for statutory oversight, the Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) said there has been no “visible progress” ^[1]. The ECB currently oversees the sector, but regulation is not statutory, meaning some enforcement firms have refused to sign up to its standards ^[1][2].

Chris Nichols, the ECB chief executive, said hundreds of thousands of people receive enforcement action from unregulated providers each year ^[1]. “Government has rightly committed to act but a year on from announcing this, there is still no clear plan,” Nichols said ^[1].

The bailiff sector handles more than 7m cases annually, most relating to unpaid parking and traffic fines and council tax arrears ^[1]. Consumer groups have called for tighter regulation, citing poor practices that range from aggressive behaviour on the doorstep and overcharging to clamping vehicles used by disabled people and threatening to remove exempt possessions ^[1][2].

Last summer, the Guardian revealed that Marston Holdings, Britain’s largest bailiff company, had overcharged people and was forced to launch a refunds programme ^[1].

On 9 June 2025, the government outlined a package of measures and launched a consultation on mandatory regulation of bailiff services ^[1][2]. A year later, campaigners say the policy has stalled ^[1]. Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, said on his podcast it was “outrageous that we still don’t have a proper independent regulator” ^[1]. Lewis said he saw “far too many cases of distress, upset, bullying, bad treatment” ^[1].

Nichols added that statutory regulation is supported by the public, debt charities and the majority of the enforcement industry itself ^[1]. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the government “remains committed to strengthening the regulation of the bailiff sector” and is developing proposals following the consultation ^[1]. The spokesperson said next steps would be announced soon ^[1].