ECB enforcement insights report 2026

The Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) has been collecting twice-yearly data returns from its members and, on 27th January 2026, presented its first annual report into enforcement process, practice and adherence to standards at the Houses of Parliament.

The report also covers data captured by the ECB under their complaints handling function.

The report demonstrates the size and importance of the enforcement sector and that the majority of firms and agents are following the ECB standards. However, the data does show a concerningly large number of threats and physical assaults against enforcement agents.

Accredited ECB membership

The ECB, set up in 2022, currently has 55 accredited members: 10 are in-house local authority enforcement teams and 45 are in the private sector. The 45 private companies represent 97 per cent of the enforcement market.

All our companies – HCE Group, Excel Civil Enforcement and The Sheriffs Office – are ECB accredited and comply with the ECB standards and procedures.

Enforcement data

Data covers 1st January to 30th June 2025:

• Almost 3.7 million enforcement cases with a debt value of almost £2.2bn
• £527mn collected
• Goods (91 per cent being vehicles) were removed in 2,624 cases – 0.07 per cent
• 38 per cent of cases closed identified vulnerability, whether poor health, major life events, low financial resilience or poor literacy/numeracy
• 1,535 assaults or threats of assault on enforcement agents, 184 (12 per cent) of which were physical

The data also shows that, whilst High Court cases account for 1.5 per cent of all cases received, they represent 13.5 per cent of the debt value, demonstrating the important role High Court enforcement plays in debt recovery.

Likewise, council tax cases account for 23 per cent of cases and 40 per cent of debt value and non-domestic rates are one per cent of cases, but 12 per cent of debt value.

Payment at compliance stage

The data shows that over a third of all cases are being settled at the compliance stage, introduced in the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013, reducing the impact of enforcement fees on debtors:

• 36 per cent - compliance stage
• 60 per cent - enforcement stage (includes stage 2 for High Court enforcement)
• Three per cent - sale and disposal

Complaints data

Between January and September 2025, 515 complaints were referred on to the ECB, under their new complaints procedure.

• 4,691 complaints received in the industry – 0.1 per cent of cases - 91 per cent of which were not upheld
• Six per cent of enforcement agents were found to have breached ECB standards – 10 were dismissed by their employer and two lost their certification
• Of the 3,394 complaints relating to the enforcement stage, body worn video (BWV) footage was missing in 9.5 per cent of cases. Wearing of BWV and retaining it for at least 90 days is required under the ECB standards

The report also references a compliance issue relating to the charging of enforcement fees where the same debtor has multiple debts.

After the compliance stage fee, only one set of fees may be charged under these circumstances, but a large accredited firm had been charging multiple fees to the same debtor. The company in question – not us or any of our subsidiary companies – referred itself to the ECB.

Compliance stage

The data shows that over a third of all cases are being settled at the compliance stage, introduced in the Taking Control of Goods Regulations 2013, reducing the impact of enforcement fees on debtors:

• 36 per cent - compliance stage
• 60 per cent - enforcement stage (includes stage 2 for High Court enforcement)
•  Three per cent - sale and disposal

Conclusion

This level of empirical data is much welcomed and demonstrates the importance of enforcement to the UK economy. Enforcement companies have been investing in their processes to streamline performance, improve identification of vulnerability and affordability issues.

On a less positive note, we are concerned about the number of assaults, especially as the numbers above only represent half a year. No one should have to approach their working day with the risk of being assaulted.

Read the full report