From 1 April 2026, anyone paying council tax in Wales will have 63 days from a missed instalment before enforcement can start. Welsh Ministers have signed off changes to slow the rush to court and tighten the rules around reminder and final notice letters. For Northern readers with homes or business units over the border, this reshapes how arrears are handled in Wales.

Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: “We’re supporting councils to prevent rapid escalation of council tax debt, by giving more time for households to recover from unexpected setbacks.” Officials say the approach aims to help people who are trying to pay while still allowing action against those who won’t engage.

What changes in practice? Councils in Wales will follow a two‑step process before any court application: a reminder, then a final notice. The final notice can only arrive at least 41 days after the missed instalment and must give a further 21 days to pay. If the bill still isn’t settled, the full year’s balance becomes due on day 62 and recovery action can begin from day 63.

It’s a clear departure from the English timetable. In England, a missed instalment triggers a mandatory reminder; if payment isn’t made within seven days-and then a further seven days-the remaining annual balance can be demanded in full. Wales’ longer, staged route is intended to build in breathing space and clearer communication.

For households in the North with a flat in Cardiff, a rental in Wrexham or a place on Anglesey, the takeaway is simple: contact your Welsh council early if you’re struggling. Ministers say reminder and final notice letters will carry stronger signposting to support, including the Welsh Government’s Claim What’s Yours advice service.

Landlords and SMEs based in the North but operating in Wales should tweak credit control. Expect reminders first, with final notices after day 41. Tenancy and licence clauses that reference arrears triggers may need a tidy‑up so they reflect the Welsh timetable and head off disputes.

Advice services and housing teams across the North should mind the cross‑border gap. England’s seven‑day, then seven‑day structure still applies, while Welsh cases will run longer and hinge on a formal final notice before court. Expect more queries from families who split time between regions or who own property either side of the border.

Procedurally, councils can only seek a liability order in the magistrates’ court after the final‑notice window closes-and not earlier than the day after the full balance becomes payable. The amendment clarifies those preliminary steps for Welsh cases.

The shift follows a consultation held between 30 April and 23 July 2025 and sits alongside wider work on making council tax fairer. Ministers have also signalled a broader redesign of council tax in Wales for 2028, subject to separate legislation and scrutiny.

Formally, the change is being delivered through the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2025 (WSI 2025/1109), which amend the 1992 Regulations that continue to set the English timetable. The new Welsh rules bite from April 2026.