Debt help in Solihull
Debt help in Solihull: council tax arrears with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, the local support that goes unclaimed, free advice serving the area, and the debt solutions available in England.
You never have to pay for debt advice. MoneyHelper (government-backed), StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice all give free, confidential advice with no obligation. We would rather you got good advice somewhere than bad advice from anyone.
Local details checked against Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and current GOV.UK guidance. Verified 2026-08-15. solihull.gov.uk
Who bills you in Solihull
Solihull holds some of the least and most deprived neighbourhoods in the West Midlands within a few miles of each other. Council Tax Reduction here is means tested exactly as it is anywhere else, so the borough's overall affluence is not a reason to assume you would not qualify. People in Chelmsley Wood and people in Knowle apply through the same scheme.
One council, everything in one place. Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is a metropolitan borough and a unitary authority, so the same organisation handles council tax billing and recovery, Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit, Housing Payments under the Crisis and Resilience Fund, homelessness and local welfare assistance.
That is worth using. If you are dealing with arrears and a housing problem at once, ask for the welfare rights or money advice team rather than working through each department separately.
Areas covered: Shirley, Chelmsley Wood, Knowle, Dorridge, Castle Bromwich, Olton and Balsall Common. Postcode districts: B90, B91, B92, B93, B94, B37.
Council tax arrears with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Solihull holds some of the least and most deprived neighbourhoods in the West Midlands within a few miles of each other, and its Council Tax Reduction scheme is means tested exactly as anywhere else.
The borough's overall affluence is not a reason to assume you would not be eligible. People in Chelmsley Wood and people in Knowle apply through the same scheme on the same means test.
The recovery timetable itself is set by regulation and is the same in every English authority — reminder, loss of instalments, summons, liability order, then enforcement. Read the stage-by-stage process before you call, then ask Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council for Council Tax Reduction, any discount or disregard you may be entitled to, and a section 13A hardship reduction by name.
Support available in Solihull
Crisis and welfare support
Crisis and Resilience Fund, delivered through two routes: Crisis Payments under the council's Crisis Support and Housing Payment Policy (June 2026), and the longer-standing Discretionary Crisis Fund, which supplies essential household items — never cash or loans — as a final safety net after every other option. Emergency help with food or fuel is by phone on 0121 704 8284; everything else is an online application. The council describes its approach as 'no wrong front door': asking any service should route you to the right one.
Help with rent and housing costs
Housing Payments, replacing Discretionary Housing Payments from April 2026: discretionary, short-term help with housing costs during financial difficulty or while you find more affordable accommodation, explicitly not a long-term solution. They can cover rent arrears from a current or previous tenancy where you were eligible for Housing Benefit or the Universal Credit housing element when the arrears built up. If refused, a Crisis Payment may still be available.
Solihull's Crisis and Resilience Fund allocation for 2026-27 is £2,411,055 — the smallest of the West Midlands metropolitan boroughs, reflecting its lower deprivation weighting; Birmingham next door receives £28,665,861. Solihull runs its crisis support on an items-not-cash basis through the Discretionary Crisis Fund, with food and fuel emergencies handled by a dedicated phone line.
Free debt advice serving Solihull
Citizens Advice Solihull Borough gives free advice locally and can apply for a Debt Relief Order as an approved intermediary, which is the only route and is always free.
You never have to pay for debt advice. MoneyHelper (government-backed), StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice all give free, confidential advice with no obligation. We would rather you got good advice somewhere than bad advice from anyone.
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council administers the Crisis and Resilience Fund and Housing Payments for this area. Both are under-claimed and both have to be asked for by name. Check what your council runs.
Debt solutions available here
Solihull is in England, so the England and Wales framework applies: an IVA, a Debt Relief Order, bankruptcy, Breathing Space or an informal Debt Management Plan. Your postcode changes none of that — it changes the local support above and who administers it. Compare all solutions side by side.
Nearby areas
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Common questions
Is Chelmsley Wood billed by Solihull or Birmingham?
Solihull. Chelmsley Wood, Castle Bromwich and Smith's Wood are inside Solihull Metropolitan Borough despite bordering Birmingham and sharing the B36 and B37 postcode districts with it.
Can Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council take money from my wages?
Yes, once a liability order has been granted. It can apply an attachment of earnings without returning to court, at deduction rates set by regulation, and it can take deductions directly from most benefits. That is why an arrangement before the liability order stage matters so much.
Will a debt solution clear council tax arrears?
Arrears are included as a qualifying debt in a Debt Relief Order, in bankruptcy and in an IVA. Ongoing council tax for the current year is not — that still has to be paid. Confusing the two is a common reason people fall behind again immediately after a solution starts.
Related guides
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