London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Feb 02, 2026

Council tax: Millions facing 5% increases from April

Council tax: Millions facing 5% increases from April

Millions of households are facing an increase in their council tax from April, as local authorities try to balance their books.

Research by the County Councils Network (CCN) suggests three-quarters of English councils with social care duties are planning a 5% hike.

This is the maximum allowed without a local vote, and would add £100 a year to bills for average Band D properties.

The government said councils should consider money pressure on residents.

It said the amount local authorities will be able to spend next year was set to rise by £5.1bn, representing an average 9% rise for local authorities.

But council leaders say they have "little choice" but to raise tax in order to protect services, despite the rising cost of living for residents.

The CCN has analysed the budget plans of 114 out of the 152 councils in England with responsibility for social care that have published details so far.

It found 113 are planning to increase council tax, with 84 proposing a 5% rise from April and just one - Central Bedfordshire - keeping tax at its current rate.

The remaining 38 councils have yet to set out their plans. Three councils - Croydon, Thurrock and Slough - have special permission to increase tax above 5%, after effectively declaring bankruptcy.

Local authorities with social care duties will be able to raise council tax by up to 5% from April without consulting local residents, following an announcement at November's autumn statement.

One authority planning to increase by the full amount, Hampshire County Council, said even with the hike it would still need to dip into its reserves to fill a financial deficit next year.

The average council tax for a Band D property in England for 2022/23 was £1,966. A 5% rise would add £98 a year to bills for an average property from April, although the amount will vary across England depending on location.

Some council leaders say the council tax system is unfair, as it raises different amounts in different parts of the country. It is currently subject to a review by Levelling Up Minister Lee Rowley.

Libraries are also funded by local councils

Ministers say the amount available to councils next year is set to increase to almost £60bn, representing an average rise of 9.4%.

The Local Government Association, which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, says this figure assumes all councils will raise council tax by the maximum amount.

It has also expressed concern that a "significant proportion" of the increase is made up of one-off grants, ring-fenced funding, and some re-allocation of existing funding.

Sam Corcoran, the Labour leader of Cheshire East Council and CCN's vice-chairman, said rising inflation and demand for social care services meant councils were setting their budgets in "the most difficult circumstances in decades".

He added that despite pressures on residents, authorities had "little choice" but to put up council tax, with the alternative "drastic cuts to frontline services" given the financial pressures on councils.

The Levelling Up Department, which oversees council funding in England, said its increases to council funding would also see deprived areas getting more per household.

"Our approach to council tax balances the need to deliver vital services while protecting residents from excessive increases," a spokesperson added.

"We expect local authorities to take into consideration the challenges many households are facing."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Arrives in Shanghai to Promote British Trade and Investment
Harry Styles, Anthony Joshua and Premier League Stars Among UK’s Top Taxpayers
New Epstein Files Include Images of Former Prince Andrew Kneeling Over Unidentified Woman
Starmer Urges Former Prince Andrew to Testify Before US Congress About Epstein Ties
Starmer Extends Invitation to Japan’s Prime Minister After Strategic Tokyo Talks
Skupski and Harrison Clinch Australian Open Men’s Doubles Title in Melbourne
DOJ Unveils Millions of Epstein Files, Fueling Global Scrutiny of Elite Networks
France Begins Phasing Out Zoom and Microsoft Teams to Advance Digital Sovereignty
China Lifts Sanctions on British MPs and Peers After Starmer Xi Talks in Beijing
Trump Nominates Kevin Warsh as Fed Chair to Reorient U.S. Monetary Policy Toward Pro-Growth Interest Rates
AstraZeneca Announces £11bn China Investment After Scaling Back UK Expansion Plans
Starmer and Xi Forge Warming UK-China Ties in Beijing Amid Strategic Reset
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Markets Jolt as AI Spending, US Policy Shifts, and Global Security Moves Drive New Volatility
U.S. Signals Potential Decertification of Canadian Aircraft as Bilateral Tensions Escalate
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee Sentenced to 20 Months for Bribery
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
China Executes 11 Members of the Ming Clan in Cross-Border Scam Case Linked to Myanmar’s Lawkai
Trump Administration Officials Held Talks With Group Advocating Alberta’s Independence
Starmer Signals UK Push for a More ‘Sophisticated’ Relationship With China in Talks With Xi
Shopping Chatbots Move From Advice to Checkout as Walmart Pushes Faster Than Amazon
Starmer Seeks Economic Gains From China Visit While Navigating US Diplomatic Sensitivities
Starmer Says China Visit Will Deliver Economic Benefits as He Prepares to Meet Xi Jinping
UK Prime Minister Starmer Arrives in China to Bolster Trade and Warn Firms of Strategic Opportunities
The AI Hiring Doom Loop — Algorithmic Recruiting Filters Out Top Talent and Rewards Average or Fake Candidates
Amazon to Cut 16,000 Corporate Jobs After Earlier 14,000 Reduction, Citing Streamlining and AI Investment
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Powell Faces DOJ Criminal Investigation During 2026 Decision
Putin’s Four-Year Ukraine Invasion Cost: Russia’s Mass Casualty Attrition and the Donbas Security-Guarantee Tradeoff
Wall Street Bets on Strong US Growth and Currency Moves as Dollar Slips After Trump Comments
UK Prime Minister Traveled to China Using Temporary Phones and Laptops to Limit Espionage Risks
Google’s $68 Million Voice Assistant Settlement Exposes Incentives That Reward Over-Collection
Kim Kardashian Admits Faking Paparazzi Visit to Britney Spears for Fame in Early 2000s
UPS to Cut 30,000 More Jobs by 2026 Amid Shift to High-Margin Deliveries
France Plans to Replace Teams and Zoom Across Government With Homegrown Visio by 2027
Trump Removes Minneapolis Deportation Operation Commander After Fatal Shooting of Protester
Iran’s Elite Wealth Abroad and Sanctions Leakage: How Offshore Luxury Sustains Regime Resilience
U.S. Central Command Announces Regional Air Exercise as Iran Unveils Drone Carrier Footage
Four Arrested in Andhra Pradesh Over Alleged HIV-Contaminated Injection Attack on Doctor
Hot Drinks, Hidden Particles: How Disposable Cups Quietly Increase Microplastic Exposure
UK Banks Pledge £11 Billion Lending Package to Help Firms Expand Overseas
Suella Braverman Defects to Reform UK, Accusing Conservatives of Betrayal on Core Policies
Melania Trump Documentary Sees Limited Box Office Traction in UK Cinemas
Meta and EssilorLuxottica Ray-Ban Smart Glasses and the Non-Consensual Public Recording Economy
WhatsApp Develops New Meta AI Features to Enhance User Control
Germany Considers Gold Reserves Amidst Rising Tensions with the U.S.
Michael Schumacher Shows Significant Improvement in Health Status
Greenland’s NATO Stress Test: Coercion, Credibility, and the New Arctic Bargaining Game
Diego Garcia and the Chagos Dispute: When Decolonization Collides With Alliance Power
Trump Claims “Total” U.S. Access to Greenland as NATO Weighs Arctic Basing Rights and Deterrence
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
×