Priority bills

A list of bills that that should be considered as important and a list of bills that are non-priority.

At present, the Benefits Service do not provide debt or money advice but we have listed some details below that you may find helpful

What are my priority bills?

If priority bills are not paid you could lose your home, your fuel could be cut off, you could incur costs, you could end up in court and be prosecuted, your credit rating may be adversely affected or you could be imprisoned.

Priority bills include:

Mortgage payments and mortgage arrears
Second mortgages/loans secured against your home
Ground rent/service charges
Rent and rent arrears
Council Tax and arrears
Gas and Electricity bills
TV licence
Magistrates’ Court fines
Parking penalties
Income Tax and VAT arrears
Child maintenance
Social Fund loans
Benefit overpayments
Tax Credit overpayments
Hire purchase or conditional sale agreements for essential items.

You will always be given a warning before any action is taken against you. It is important to keep in contact with the provider/ creditor to keep them informed of your circumstances and to discuss your options. They will want to avoid taking action against you as much as you do.

What are my non-priority bills?

Non-priority creditors do not have as strong powers as priority creditors. A non-priority creditor must get a county court judgement before they can take any further legal action against you.

Non-priority debts include:

credit cards
store cards
charge cards
mail order catalogues
money lenders
water arrears
unsecured bank loans
unsecured overdrafts

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