People struggling with council tax and other debts could face substantially higher sheriff officer fees under changes being challenged at the Scottish Parliament today.

Scottish Green MSP Holly Bruce has lodged motions seeking to annul new rules governing the fees charged by sheriff officers and messengers at arms, with the issue being considered by Holyrood’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee.

The changes introduce a new system for calculating fees and are due to come into force on 25 September unless successfully challenged.

Bruce raised concerns when the committee considered the regulations last week, pointing to increases of between 12% and 15% across the new fee structure.

The Scottish Greens argue some people with relatively small debts could face considerably larger percentage increases for particular stages of debt recovery.

Party research calculates that for claims of £1,500 or less, the cost associated with postal diligence would increase from £29.27 to £43.92, representing a rise of around 50%.

For serving documents personally in claims of £1,500 or less, the party says the fee would increase from £61.70 to £87.84, a rise of around 42%.

The new system also includes provisions allowing surcharges in particular circumstances, with the Greens warning this could have a disproportionate impact on people living in rural communities.

Bruce said:

“If this is introduced it will further punish the most vulnerable people who are already struggling with the likes of council tax debt.

“This does not align with the Government’s intention to make council tax debt recovery processes fairer.

“When the new Housing Act passed through parliament, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing acknowledged ‘the inherent unfairness in the current system’ of council tax debt recovery and agreed to consult those affected.

“It also puts Scotland at odds with England where the costs of the process are being cut.

“In the middle of a cost of living crisis, those who are struggling to repay debts should not be hammered by extra fees that will ultimately go to debt firms with turnover in the millions.

“Everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living.

“When private debt collection firms are emboldened to increase fees, this can cause a huge amount of stress, anxiety and hardship.

“It will be women fleeing domestic abuse, people being evicted from their homes, and people in vulnerable positions who pay the price for this.

“It also unfairly impacts rural communities.”

The regulations establish a new unit based model for fees charged by sheriff officers and messengers at arms, replacing the existing system and providing for the value of those units to increase in future years.

Bruce has lodged formal motions recommending that the committee annul both the main 2026 fees instrument and a subsequent amendment which corrected errors identified during parliamentary scrutiny.

The committee is taking evidence on the changes today before considering the motions seeking their annulment.

For people already struggling with debt, the argument centres on whether reforming and simplifying the system should result in substantially higher costs being added to money they already cannot afford to pay.

Bruce said:

“Rather than changing the system for the better, this fee increase would make things even worse and leave vulnerable people in a cycle of debt that they will find it even harder to get out of.”