Many households in England are bracing themselves for council tax to go up by £114, with the most common increase set to be nearly 5 per cent.
But some areas, including North Somerset, are hiking council tax by up to 9 per cent, which means bills for residents could go up by £160 over the next year.
It will place more strain on households that are already struggling with the cost of living. The conflict in Iran is threatening to send energy bills soaring.
But struggling local authorities are raising council to cover funding gaps and the rising demand for local services.
All 153 top-tier local authorities in England – county councils, London boroughs, metropolitan boroughs and unitary authorities – have confirmed the percentage by which they are raising council tax from next month. It does not include lower-tier district councils.
The highest increases will be rolled out across seven councils: North Somerset (8.99 per cent), Shropshire (8.99 per cent), Worcestershire (8.98 per cent), Trafford (7.49 per cent), Windsor and Maidenhead (7.49 per cent), Warrington (7.48 per cent) and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (6.74 per cent).
Residents in North Somerset will see the average band D bill go from £1,794 to £1,955 – an increase of £161. In Shropshire it will jump from £1,807 to £1,969 – an increase of £162.
Worcestershire, where residents currently have the third lowest council tax bills in the country, will see the average band D charge rise by £145 (from £1,615 to £1,760). In Trafford it will spike from £1,722 to £1,850 (an increase of £128). Bills in Windsor and Maidenhead will go from £1,400 to £1,504.
Band D bills in Labour-controlled Warrington will go from £1,868 to £2,008, and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole will see an increase from £1,855 to £1,980.
The final sum will also include parish costs and contributions for police and fire services, raising the total even further.
These increases exceed the maximum amount councils are allowed to charge – 4.99 per cent- without holding and winning a referendum on the hike. They are facing severe financial challenges against a backdrop of reduced central government funding.
Ministers granted them permission to raise council tax above 5 per cent for 2026/27.
Central government grant funding in 2024/25 was 18.8 per cent lower in real terms than in 2009/10, analysis by the Institute of Government shows.
The smallest council tax rises
The smallest increase will be for households in Hartlepool, where council tax will go up 1.98 per cent.
It means the average band D council tax bill will rise from £2,083 to £2,125, an increase of £42.
The increase will be 1.99 per cent in Durham, so the average bill will go from £2,031 to £2071.
In England, the average cost of band D council tax for all local authorities in 2025/26 stood at £2,280, which includes adult social care and parish costs.
Of the 153 top-tier councils that have announced their council tax for 2026/27, nearly 120 have opted for a 4.99 per cent hike – the maximum allowed. This means that large swathes of the country could see their bills go up to £2,394, an increase of £114.
Shropshire Council said the 8.99 per cent hike will bring in £8.8m, helping it to “borrow less and protect essential services”. However, it will continue to experience a significant budget gap.
Shropshire acknowledged it is a difficult time for residents who are already struggling and said it will launch a Crisis Resilience Fund on 1 April to provide additional support to those in need.
The Local Government Association, which represents councils across England and Wales, said: “Councils remain under financial pressure with many having to increase council tax bills to try and protect services.
“While council tax is an important funding stream, it has never been the solution to the long-term pressures facing councils, raising different amounts in different parts of the country – unrelated to need – and adding to the financial pressures facing households.”
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