Burnham tightens rules on bailiffs as England and Wales move against debt abuse
Andy Burnham has launched a crackdown on rogue bailiffs and so-called cowboy builders, saying the new rules are meant to shield people in debt and
Andy Burnham has launched a crackdown on rogue bailiffs and so-called cowboy builders, saying the new rules are meant to shield people in debt and stop homeowners being ripped off in England and Wales.
The move lands as complaints about aggressive debt enforcement and poor trade work have lingered for months. For households already under pressure, the stakes are plain. Money, time, peace of mind.
Pressure on bailiffs
Burnham said he was strengthening the rules that apply to bailiffs as part of a wider set of “everyday fixes” intended to ease the cost of living and “make Britain fairer”. The focus is on people in debt who can be hit hard by overcharging or heavy-handed behaviour when enforcement agents turn up at the door.
The announcement comes two months after the Guardian reported that the government had been accused of dragging its feet on the issue. In June 2025, the Ministry of Justice said it would legislate to make independent regulation of bailiffs mandatory. A year later, there was still no clear plan in sight, and the body overseeing the industry in England and Wales criticised the lack of progress.
That matters because bailiff enforcement is not a small corner of the system. More than 7 million cases are sent for enforcement each year, and the industry collects more than £1 billion annually. Most of that work relates to unpaid parking and traffic fines, along with council tax arrears.
Homeowners also targeted
The crackdown does not stop with debt collection. Burnham also promised measures aimed at “cowboy” tradespeople, including builders who overcharge or otherwise rip off homeowners.
It is a familiar problem. A botched job can drain savings fast, especially when households have little room to absorb extra costs. Repairs stall. Bills rise. Stress follows.
By pairing bailiff rules with action against rogue builders, Burnham is tying consumer protection to the day-to-day pressures many families feel most sharply. The approach fits the government’s pitch that it is looking for practical fixes, not just broad slogans.
What comes next will be the detail. The government has yet to spell out the full shape of the new protections, but the message from the announcement was blunt: tighter rules are coming for an industry that handles millions of cases and for tradespeople who leave homeowners paying twice.
