Council Tax Advisors CIC is expanding as local authorities around the country find council tax arrears increasing.

The free debt advice specialist says it is fielding thousands of enquires every month, with over 200 calls and 100 web queries every day. Calls for help are coming not only from the public, but from charitable organisations and housing associations as well.

To cope with the increased workload, Council Tax Advisors CIC has initiated a recruitment drive.

The increase in enquires follows the news that councils in England are owed £2.5 billion in unpaid council tax – more than £100 for every property in the country. Liverpool is the worst affected council, with £450 unpaid council tax per property. Also badly affected are Salford, Luton, Manchester and Birmingham.

Chris Richards, founder of Council Tax Advisors CIC, said: “We’re glad to see people are coming forward and seeking help. They’re taking the opportunity to ease their burden. As we want to help as many people as possible, we’re expanding our advice team.”

Council Tax Advisors CIC offers a free mediation service for all situations, no matter how complex. Working quickly on behalf of clients, the company seeks to suspend any enforcement action and resolve debt issues as soon as possible. Its services are free of charge to the client and to local authorities.

As a community interest company (CIC), Council Tax Advisors CIC believes no individual should face financial difficulty alone.

Community Interest Companies (CICs) are enterprises recognised by the government under the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004. They use their profits and assets for the public good and are regulated by the Office of the Regulator of CICs and the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.