We understand that having money owed to you can affect your business and services, and recovering it can be stressful and time-consuming. That's where Marston Holdings comes in. We work to recover unpaid monies in the most efficient and effective way possible, all whilst ensuring the services we provide are firm and fair to the customer who owes money.
“We have worked with Marston since 2015. Our account manager is very supportive, flexible and knowledgeable, and we have a great working relationship. She responds to queries promptly, meets with us regularly, and works with us to ensure service levels and requirements are met.”
Darren Everett, Revenues and Welfare Manager, Test Valley Borough Council
About Marston Holdings
Marston Holdings (Marston) is the UK's largest judicial services Group, with circa 5,000 staff and enforcement agents. We recover over £300million per year on behalf of taxpayers, businesses and individuals through ethical and integrated court order compliance and process over 30% of all High Court writs issued annually.
Over the past 40 years Marston Holdings has delivered court order enforcement and corporate debt recovery for over 200 local authorities and central government departments to recover a range of unpaid debts and fines on behalf of the taxpayer, for liabilities that include Council Tax, Business Rates and moving traffic and parking offences.
The training, expertise, size and geographic coverage of our enforcement agent network is unrivalled. We process over 2.5million cases each year from a diverse range of local authorities with varying socio-economic demographics. Our approach is underpinned by data-led strategies that deliver tailored, ethical and effective solutions.
Ethics are at the forefront of everything we do. We embrace our responsibility to treat people
fairly and our award-winning vulnerability strategy includes a Welfare Support Team, trained with the support of the Money Advice Trust, the Samaritans and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Our work is overseen by an Independent Advisory Group, an Environmental and Social Governance Committee and a Customer Experience Committee which ensures we work and treat people ethically.
We also hold the coveted BS ISO 22458 Consumer Vulnerability kitemark in recognition of our design and delivery of inclusive debt recovery solutions that identify and respond positively to consumer vulnerability.
Social value is at the heart of our strategic goals, and we place great emphasis on achieving outcomes that are not only representative of our values but also the values of the organisations and communities we work with.
In recent years, Marston has grown to provide a complete offering to our clients that encompasses local taxation and high court enforcement services in addition to active travel, clean air and parking solutions, from design through to implementation, management, enforcement and recovery.
Over 2.5million cases per year
Private and commercial clients
250,000+ Council Tax cases per year
£850million recovered for our clients per year
Processed over 37,000 Writs in 2023
Delivered 300+ social value initiatives over two years
400+ Enforcement Agents Cover 1.8million UK postcode areas
270+ local authority relationships
group
Overseen by an independent advisory
5,000+ employees across the UK, Sweden and India
Award-winning services
Our debt recovery services
Council Tax and Business Rates local taxation enforcement
Effective Council Tax and Business Rates recovery is a vital contribution to the funding of public services. Marston supports local authorities and their customers through fair and effective local taxation collections that also incorporate Business Improvement Districts and Community Infrastructure Levy liabilities.
We process over 250,000 liability orders each year from a broad range of local authority types, areas and demographics. Marston focus on early-stage interventions supported by multiple communications methods, designed to maximise early engagement, minimise fees and secure high collections for our clients
We offer clients an experienced account management service through our team of IRRV qualified practitioners. Their skillset extends
to delivering effective client training in all technical aspects of local taxation work together with insightful courses on matters such as the identification of vulnerability and its application in a revenues environment, and telephone debt negotiation training. We continuously develop course content to ensure it remains legislatively accurate and responsive to the evolving nature of the revenue collection marketplace.
Clients can monitor their referrals through our bespoke Columbus case management system that provides functionality for clients to add notes, request returns, adjust balances and upload new referrals. Columbus is augmented by a comprehensive and ever-evolving suite of management reports compiled via Power BI that enables clients to forensically analyse caseload progression and collection performance.
“Winchester City Council have worked with Marston Holdings since 2016 on the collection of Council Tax and Business Rates. The service provided and the collection results are consistently impressive. There is excellent communication between Marston’s enforcement team and my Revenues Officers. Any enquiries or complaints (which are few and far between) have been dealt with quickly, professionally and to a satisfactory outcome. They have also produced some very valuable training courses for staff. We would certainly recommend them to anyone who is looking for reliable enforcement agents."
Terri Horner, Service Lead for Revenues and Benefits, Winchester City Council
“Marston has been our sole provider for enforcement and debt management services since early 2013 and during that time have seen a significant increase in collections as we partnered on many innovations, including persistent evader alert technology and processes that have been a factor in Marston’s success and collections for Westminster.”
We support local authorities in good traffic management and achieving environmental objectives by enforcing court orders relating to moving traffic and parking offences.
High Court enforcement
Whether you are owed money, recovering property, or needing assistance with the collection of Commercial Rent Arrears, we can provide a complete recovery service through High Court enforcement.
Debt Recovery
We specialise in the recovery of qualifying debts of £600 and over. We support individuals, businesses of all sizes and solicitors acting on behalf of clients to recover debts that include unpaid invoices and liabilities arising from financial disputes.
Evictions and specialist services
Our highly skilled property recovery team, comprising of Enforcement Agents and High Court Enforcement Officers provide evictions and specialist services to help residential, commercial and landowners regain possession of their property and land. This includes the removal of:
Tenants
Squatters
Unauthorised encampments
Specialist evictions and protesters
We recognise that commercial rent payments are critical to cashflow and provide a same-day service to enable swift and effective recovery. In addition to proceeding to collect these rent arrears Marston also provides forfeiture and peaceful re-entry services.
Corporate debt collection - Our unique offering brings together dedicated teams specialising in sundry debt collection services that meet the high standards expected of Credit Services Association members. Debts commonly referred include housing benefit overpayment and former tenant arrears liabilities, together with other sundry charges that remain unpaid to our clients.
Where the debtor is known to have assets and debt collection measures prove unsuccessful, we support clients by arranging for the transfer of CCJs to the High Court and execute these through Marston's own High Court Enforcement service.
Adult Social Care debt - We have developed unique collection strategies for this often-emotive debt stream. We have devised a bespoke soft contact strategy that ensures a tactful, considerate, but equally assertive approach.
“Marston have delivered services to Swindon Borough Council for over 15 years, during this time they have consistently been the best performing company, leading to them being appointed as sole provider in 2020. They continue to strive to enhance performance by developing new initiatives, especially tackling persistent evaders. Marston customer services are helpful and always quick to resolve and respond to Council queries.”
Michelle King, Localities Supervisor, Swindon Borough Council
Damon Budds, Westminster City Council
Traffic Management Act
Commercial Rent Arrears
Other debt collection
Central Government
Criminal fines enforcement - Fines make up most Magistrates' Courts sentences. These are passed to Marston when offenders do not comply with orders from the courts. Our services include: The arrest and transportation of offenders to courts. Detention of offenders at police or prison cells.
The collection of court fines through supported and enforced compliance where necessary and the enforcement of Clamping Orders and Confiscation Orders.
Our ethical credentials
Memberships
Marston are members of both the Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA) and the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation (IRRV), this
Enforcement Conduct Board ( ECB )
We are accredited by the ECB who provide a dedicated framework of best practices to adhere to. This shows our commitment to high standards and accountability.
Welfare Support Team
Our award-winning vulnerability strategy includes a Welfare Support Team and comprehensive in-house training developed in collaboration with the Money Advice Trust, the Samaritans, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and third sector organisations. We operate referral schemes with local and national debt advice organisations,
ensures that we comply with industry Codes of Practices and National Standards. We are also members of the BPA.
Independent Advisory Group ( IAG )
Since 2013, our work has been overseen by an IAG. The Group meets five times a year and challenges our business culture and ethical practices, ensuring high standards are at the heart of our service delivery.
ensuring that customers are fast-tracked for appropriate support where necessary. We also run debt surgeries and deliver presentations to third sector welfare groups in partnership with our clients to explain our processes and develop new collaborative initiatives.
Accessibility
Contact centre:
Multilingual and translation services
RNID text relay trained operators
Max Contact Centre systems
Call recording and analysis
Interactive voice response
0300 local rate number
Dedicated Breathing Space and Financial Difficulties teams.
Vulnerability accreditations
Marston hold the new BS ISO Kitemark 22458
Vulnerability Standard which recognises service providers who:
Mobile self-serve application: Make payments
Video calls Web chat
Update details including vulnerability/ financial difficulty View previous interactions
Automated Chatbot (Mia)
Make arrangements (within client parameters)
Any language
Understand and identify vulnerable customers. Provide them meaningful support that reduces potential harm.
Improves outcomes for those in vulnerable situations.
Protect Vulnerability flag; Case on hold
Action
Manageable payment strategy; Additional support; Case return
Update Case records; Link multiple cases
Assess Type and impact of vulnerability
Reassure
WSU case owner; Access to advice
Request info Seek evidence to support vulnerability claim
