How a lot is council tax going up in YOUR space Nearly 4 in 5 native authorities go for most rises – whereas some will see payments soar by 9%
Britons are braced for more financial pain as nearly four in five of top-tier local authorities prepare to hike council tax by the maximum amount from April.
A 4.99 per cent rise in council tax is the maximum annual hike allowed, in normal circumstances, before councils are required to hold a local referendum.
The cap is made up of 2.99 per cent for general spending and a 2 per cent adult social care precept.
Out of 153 top-tier local authorities in England, 118 have announced rises of 4.99 per cent for the 2026/27 financial year.
Less than one in five (28 local authorities) have announced council tax rises below 4.99 per cent.
Meanwhile, seven authorities were this year given permission by the Government to raise council tax by more than 4.99 per cent.
It means some households will see their council tax bills rise by almost 9 per cent next month.
The Government has allowed North Somerset, Shropshire and Worcestershire to raise their levies by 8.99 per cent.
Authorities in Trafford, Warrington and Windsor & Maidenhead are being allowed to hike their council tax by 7.49 per cent.
And Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council has been permited a 6.74 per cent rise.
Of those local authorities who have opted for council tax rises below the usual cap of 4.99 per cent, Hartlepool and Durham will have the lowest increases of 1.98 per cent.
Barnet has proposed a rise of 4.98 per cent, marginally below the cap.
The rises in council tax across England next month will increase the pressure on hard-pressed households.
It also comes amid mounting fears the Iran conflict will worsen the cost-of-living crisis even further.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has warned a sustained spike in energy prices due to the US-Israel war with Iran could mean inflation ends the year one percentage point higher than expected.
It said the impact of the conflict on UK prices could be ‘significant’ and ‘completely unwelcome’.
Fuel prices have already rocketed in the wake of the American and Israeli strikes on Tehran in the biggest surge since 2022, when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine sparked an energy crisis.
