Only a handful of areas will see their council tax bills rise below the 4.99% maximum. Use our new calculator to find out how much your bill might rise in April 2026.
Council tax shock as some face hikes of up to 9% (Image: Getty)
Households in parts of England are braced for staggering council tax rises of nearly 9% in April, piling new pressure on already stretched budgets.
A snapshot of plans for the next financial year from the country’s 153 top-tier local authorities shows a small group set to push through with steep increases, raising bills for thousands of Brits. At the top of the table, North Somerset has confirmed an 8.99% rise, with Shropshire proposing the same jump. Worcestershire County Council is close behind, proposing an 8.98% hike. Elsewhere, Trafford has proposed a 7.49% increase, matched by Windsor and Maidenhead, while Warrington is planning a 7.48% rise. These increases are significantly above the 4.99% threshold that typically triggers a local referendum.
Only a handful of areas will see their council tax bills rise below the 4.99% maximum (Image: Getty)
The overwhelming majority of councils are sticking to 4.99% rises, the maximum allowed without a vote.
The near-5% increase has been confirmed or proposed across most county councils, London boroughs, metropolitan councils and unitary authorities.
Only a handful of authorities are set to keep increases notably lower. Durham has confirmed a 1.99% rise, while Middlesbrough, Merton, Wandsworth, Westminster and Rutland are among those proposing or confirming a 2% hike. A small number, including Leicestershire and Lincolnshire, are below 3%.
The figures, compiled as of February 25, cover England’s 153 top-tier authorities, excluding lower-tier district councils. Three authorities are yet to publish their plans.
The councils that have special permission to increase their council tax beyond the 4.99% maximum were granted it to ease a “challenging” financial position.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government spokesperson said: “Councils are responsible for their own tax levels and we are clear they should keep taxes on working people as low as possible.
“We have also made £78 billion available for their finances next year, with the majority of money unringfenced so local leaders can decide for themselves how best to spend on their local priorities.”
Find out how much your local authority plans to increase council tax using our calculator below.
What is council tax?
Council tax is levied on all properties in Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and is set by local authorities to fund services.
This includes schools, roads, libraries, support for vulnerable children and adults, rubbish collections, and the police, fire services, and other local services.
How much a household pays in council tax depends on what band their property is in. Bands are determined based on the property’s value on April 1, 1991, and these bands range from A to H by the Valuation Office Agency.
- Band A – property value up to £40,000
- Band B – property value over £40,000 and up to £52,000
- Band C – property value over £52,000 and up to £68,000
- Band D – property value over £68,000 and up to £88,000
- Band E – property value over £88,000 and up to £120,000
- Band F – property value over £120,000 and up to £160,000
- Band G – property value over £160,000 and up to £320,000
- Band H – property value over £320,000.
In Scotland, the council tax bands are:
- Band A – property value up to £27,000
- Band B – property value over £27,000 and up to £35,000
- Band C – property value over £35,000 and up to £45,000
- Band D – property value over £45,000 and up to £58,000
- Band E – property value over £58,000 and up to £80,000
- Band F – property value over £80,000 and up to £106,000
- Band G – property value over £106,000 and up to £212,000
- Band H – property value Over £212,000.
Council tax controversy
Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis has long called for reforms to the council tax system (Image: PA)
The council tax system has come under fire in recent years following various campaigns, most notably from MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis, which raised awareness of the inaccuracies of the banding.
To implement council tax quickly after the poll tax was scrapped in 1990, the Government used a “stop-gap valuation”. This involved estate agents driving past properties and estimating values – often rushing through hundreds of properties in a week, sometimes all in a single day.
This rushed process has raised questions about the accuracy of many bandings and has resulted in some households overpaying for decades, a fact that emerged after they disputed their bills. One MoneySavingExpert fan claimed to have recouped £8,000 in overpaid tax, plus a £50 reduction in their bill going forward.
According to Mr Lewis, as many as 400,000 properties are estimated to be in the wrong band due to inaccurate valuation readings.
Variation in tax bills among local authorities has raised important questions about the fairness of the system. A recent analysis by the Financial Times estimated that more than 50% of properties surveyed are paying the wrong amount of tax in real terms, with data indicating that even “modest homes” can pay more than mansions, both as a proportion of their value and in cash terms.
The bands, ranging from A to H, reserve band A for the lowest-value properties, while band H is for the highest-value properties.
The price ranges, still based on house prices from 1991, are set nationally but tax rates are decided and imposed by local councils based on the needs of the area.
Properties do not, and have not, moved bands despite their value significantly increasing.
According to the FT’s analysis last year, the band D price range, which is currently applied to properties worth between £68,001 and £88,000 in 1991, would now be equivalent to £373,000 and £483,000 if increased by average national house price growth.
However, of the “tens of thousands” sold in that price bracket, the FT said just one-third are in band D. After repeating the calculation for all price bands, 55% of properties were found to be in the wrong band.
Jonathan Hinder, a Labour MP for the constituency of Pendle and Clitheroe, told the FT: “It is the most unfair tax in Britain. It is extremely regressive and very poorly understood.”
At present, the London Borough of Wandsworth pays the least amount of council tax in the UK, with average band D households paying around £990 per year.
This comes despite Rightmove data showing house prices in this borough average around £787,068.
Meanwhile, Rutland, in the East Midlands, has some of the highest council tax rates, with average band D households paying around £2,671 per year. According to Rightmove, house prices in this constituency average around £438,110.
Labour ruled out changing council tax bands in England during its election campaign last summer, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves stating the party did “not want to see the tax burden on working people increase”.
However, Wales has already announced plans to reevaluate its council tax system in 2028.
How to dispute a council tax band
For those who fear they may be overpaying council tax, there are ways to check and dispute it. Martin Lewis’s ‘Check and Challenge’ method comprises two steps.
This includes comparing your property’s band to your neighbours’ and checking the valuation of your property in 1991. To check a neighbour’s band, visit voa.gov.uk if you’re in England, or saa.gov.uk if you’re in Scotland.
When comparing your band with your neighbours’, make sure the properties are as similar in size and value as they would have been in 1991. If neighbours with similar properties are in a lower band than you, you may be able to make a claim.
To find out the valuation of your property in 1991, visit a property site like Rightmove or Zoopla and input your street name. Here, you can see the property’s sales history.
However, MoneySavingExpert suggested making a claim only if your property passes both the neighbour and valuation checks.
If you’d like to make a claim, check if your local council has an online claim form via a Google search, or simply call or email your local council.
Council tax discount
If you find your property is in the right council tax band, there are other ways to check if you can make a saving. A raft of council tax discounts is available, but it must be claimed. The discount is not awarded automatically.
Research by Policy in Practice, published in 2025, estimated that as much as £3.3 billion in council tax support is going unclaimed in the 2025/26 tax year.
Certain people may qualify for discounts or exemptions based on their circumstances. A 25% single-person discount applies if only one adult lives in the property.
If a household has more than one resident, but all except one are disregarded, they may also receive a 25% discount. A 50% discount applies if all residents are classified as disregarded.
According to GOV.UK, people are disregarded if they are:
- Under 18 years old
- On certain apprentice schemes
- Aged 18 or 19 and in full-time education
- Full-time students at college or university
- Under 25 and receiving funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency
- Student nurses
- Foreign language assistants registered with the British Council
- Severely mentally impaired
- Live-in carers for someone who is not their partner, spouse, or child under 18
- Diplomats
It should be noted that households where everyone’s a full-time student do not have to pay council tax. According to Government guidance, people count as full-time students if their course lasts at least one year and involves at least 21 hours of study per week.
Those studying for a qualification up to A level and are aged under 20 must be on a course that lasts at least three months and involves at least 12 hours of study per week.
If the property has been adapted for someone with a physical disability, the council tax bill may also be reduced.
Additionally, people on low incomes or specific benefits might qualify for further help through the Council Tax Reduction scheme.
This scheme, run by individual councils, can offer reductions ranging from a small percentage to covering the full cost of the bill, depending on factors such as income, savings, and household composition.
To apply for any council tax discount or reduction, individuals must actively contact their local council.
Since each council operates its own system, the application process may vary. A helpful starting point is the Government’s online tool, which lets residents check their local council by entering their postcode.
The expert advice team at Citizens Advice said: “If you’re worried about your council tax bill or you want to check if you can get a discount, the first thing to do is get in touch with your local council.
“If you’re struggling to pay, there are options available, so it’s important to check what you might be eligible for. You might be entitled to pay less, or not at all, depending on your circumstances.”
