‘I’m an enforcement agent… here’s what item we seize the most’ | Money News

If you’ve ever spent your morning commute daydreaming about starting afresh with your career, this feature is for you. Each Monday, we speak to someone from a different profession to discover what it’s really like. Today we speak to Jodie Pickard, a bailiff (or, as they’re now known, enforcement agent) for CDER Group…

I can earn up to £3,500 each month… There is flexibility in the role to work longer hours and increase earnings. In the future, I may look into becoming self-employed because the benefits can be much greater.

Bailiff is an old term that was replaced in 2007… and we are officially certificated enforcement agents.

Some of the situations I have dealt with when I first joined my company were a real shock to my system… I quickly realised that when people are aggressive towards me, that person is normally acting out of anger or embarrassment. For others, they think that by being intimidating, they may deter you from carrying out your role. I don’t take it personally, once people have vented and realise they need to deal with their debt, they usually calm down.It’s about staying professional and helping people to help themselves.

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Debt and enforcement is complex and you really need to understand people’s circumstances to help them resolve their debt… No case is the same and the public just don’t see that supportive side of the job. They assume “bailiffs” are aggressive and unfair, which is an outdated stereotype.

People would be surprised by a lot of positive feedback I get from helping people with repayment options… I think they surprise themselves and are often relieved once there is an agreed plan in place. I’m not out to cause harm. My job is to support the courts to make sure everyone pays their outstanding taxes, fines and penalties, so that our schools are equipped, fire stations stay open, bins are collected and roads are maintained.

If there are children present… I try to think of my own child and how I would handle a situation. I’d ask the customer to let the children go to another room so nothing was heard, or so the children wouldn’t worry or get upset. Obviously, if there is a welfare concern, I would pause action and refer the case to our welfare department.

The default response for not being able to pay is… normally that they didn’t know about the debt. I enforce civil debt at the end of a collection cycle that has involved weeks, sometimes months of contact attempts and a number of letters. I think people are just embarrassed that they have allowed the debt to escalate to this stage.

A lot of the time people just don’t have the money… have lost their jobs or have mental health issues. The list could be endless, which is why I don’t judge and just try to find a way to help them repay or get support when they genuinely can’t pay.

You can’t get involved with the guilt feeling… We are there to do an important role and that is to collect the outstanding debt. I feel sorry for people who are struggling, but we have good support options for them in those circumstances.

TV shows like Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away are designed to be entertaining… Our daily work is far less eventful. It’s not all about taking goods. We have to deal with welfare, mental health situations, anger, threats.

I handle conflict… professionally and take all steps that are required to keep myself safe. We operate strictly under the Taking Control of Goods regulations, which are very detailed, including rules on entry to a property, what can and cannot be taken, times when enforcement is permitted and dealing with vulnerable individuals.

People don’t have to let us in… and we can’t force entry. They can seek debt help from Citizens’ Advice, StepChange or any other free debt service. They should ask to see ID if not provided. Ask the agent to fully explain the debt and any action which may be taken in easily understandable language.

If it were me with an agent at the door, I would… invite them in. Once they can see my current situation, it helps to understand my surroundings and assess my ability to pay. I would try to agree a payment plan, I would explore all avenues. But that is me. Not everyone is the same.

The usual responses from friends and family about my job are… Well, someone has to do it. Glad it’s not me. I couldn’t do it.

The most rewarding moment I’ve experienced in my career is… Understanding that all customers are not the same, when you are treated kindly and asked if you’d like a cuppa or biscuits, it’s a welcome surprise. I am also helping to make sure that the council gets the money it needs for essential services, which we will all rely on.

A misconception that annoys me is… that we are parasites, thieves or bullies. People forget that there are so many opportunities for people to pay their debt long before an enforcement agent knocks on their door. It’s annoying when TV shows and soaps keep using these images in their storylines. It’s just not the reality of modern enforcement.

The most common items we end up taking are almost always… vehicles because they are the most likely asset that will satisfy the debt and most people don’t have anything else of value to be sold at auction. Some people rack up literally hundreds of parking fines and think they can avoid paying them. So, mostly when we remove a vehicle, it is because they are persistently breaking the rules and then avoiding paying. Often they are untaxed, uninsured or shouldn’t be on the roads.

We don’t have as much information on a person as we would like… usually we only have the name, address, type of debt, vehicle’s details, and previous notices sent. Quite often, we will have had cases for that person in the past, so we may have other information that helps deal with the case. Because it’s such a long period from incurring a debt to getting a visit from an enforcement agent, some of the details we get are out of date, for example, someone has moved house and we need to trace their new address.

My job hasn’t changed my view on life or money, my background did that… I came from a very challenging upbringing, so I have experience of hardship as a child, and I use that experience to empathise while collecting debt.

One thing I’ve learned about people in my career is… They’re all different, from different backgrounds, so never judge anyone.