Fewer people across England will face having their council tax hiked by the maximum level this year – see full list of councils below to find out how much your tax will rise by
Fewer people across England will face having their council tax hiked by the maximum level this year, new analysis shows.
Local authorities are allowed to impose a maximum 4.99% council tax hike without holding a referendum. While the majority of councils will impose the highest level increase, around nine fewer councils won’t do so this year.
Analysis shows some 119 of the 153 top-tier authorities have either proposed or confirmed a rise of 4.99% for 2026/27. A further six councils with acute financial challenges are likely to accept the permission granted by the Government to increase council tax beyond this level.
This means 125 authorities – 82% of the total – are planning a rise of at least 4.99%, down from 134 (88%) last year. The figures were compiled by the Press Association based on the latest data available from local authorities in England, as of February 25 2026.
The findings show that 25 upper-tier councils are currently not looking to raise council tax by at least 4.99%, of which eight have pencilled in rises between 4.00% and 4.98%, nine are between 3.00% and 3.99%, and the remaining eight are between 1.99% and 2.99%. Some 10 of these 25 councils are run by Reform UK, either as the majority party or as a minority administration.
Reform has pledged to lower taxes at local and national level. But two Reform-led councils – Doncaster and North Northamptonshire – have signalled their intention to apply the maximum 4.99% this year, while Worcestershire, also led by Nigel Farage’s party, has proposed a rise of 8.98% to deal with financial pressures.
Leaders on Worcestershire council have warned the authority could be forced to declare effective bankruptcy because of a financial crisis.
Other councils given permission to raise council tax above 4.99% in 2026/27 include North Somerset and Shropshire, which have both proposed the highest increase of 8.99%. North Somerset is led by a coalition of Labour, Liberal Democrats, Greens and independents, while Shropshire has a Lib Dem majority.
The other three councils considering increases of above 4.99% are Trafford and Warrington, both run by Labour, along with Lib Dem-controlled Windsor & Maidenhead. All three have been given the right to raise the tax by up to 7.49%.
Among other Reform-led councils, West Northamptonshire, Derbyshire and Warwickshire have opted for rises of 4.95%, 4.90% and 4.40% respectively; Kent, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire are set to increase council tax by 3.99%; and Lancashire has proposed a rise of 3.80%.
Reform’s Kent County Council leader Linden Kemkaran has previously suggested the council was a “shop window” for what a Farage-led government would look like. But the council has faced rows, suspensions and scandal. In October, Reform came under fire for breaking its promise to make savings at the council after admitting services are “down to the bare bones” and considering the maximum hike council tax.
After now proposing a 3.99% increase, opposition councillors accused the Reform cabinet in Kent has been accused of delivering a budget of “extreme risk” and one that is “potentially reckless” by opposition councillors ahead of the vote that approved the financial plans.
At the time, council leader Ms Kemkaran said Reform would prefer not to propose a council tax increase at all but given “the dire legacy we inherited” alongside an unprecedented rise in demands and costs for services such as social care, “this is simply not possible”.
Smaller increases by Reform councils have been approved in Leicestershire (2.99%), Lincolnshire (2.90%) and Durham (1.99%).
Coventry is one of the local authorities not run by Reform that is proposing an increase below 4.99%. The Labour-run administration said its planned rise of 3.95% “has been made possible thanks to additional funding from a fairer Government settlement following years of lobbying by the council”. Rutland is another local authority that said additional funding from Westminster is a reason it has been able to keep council tax increases below 4.99% – in this instance, at 2.00%.
The Government has recently reformed the local government finance system to establish a fairer distribution of funding through changes to allocation formulas, alongside multi-year settlements. But the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England, has warned that some councils will still see their funding fail to keep pace with inflation and demand pressures.
Greg Stride, principle researcher at the think tank Local Government Information Unit, said: “The outcome of the Fair Funding Review has changed the grants local governments get from central government, which has granted a small number of councils a temporary reprieve from raising council tax. But increasing cost pressures mean this is unlikely to continue for long, and the Government and Office of Budget Responsibility’s own forecasts assume councils will raise council tax by the maximum amount in years to come.”
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “Local authorities decide the level of council tax they wish to set, which reflects the service needs of each area, and we are clear that in doing so they should put taxpayers first. We have made over £78billion available for council finances next year, an increase of over 6% compared to 2025/26, with the majority of money un-ringfenced so local leaders can decide for themselves how best to spend on their local priorities.”
Full list of councils
There are three top-tier authorities that have yet to make public a proposed or confirmed figure.
– County councils
Cambridgeshire (Eastern England), Lib Dem majority: 4.99% confirmed
Derbyshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 4.90% confirmed
Devon (SW England), Lib Dem min: 4.99% confirmed
East Sussex (SE England), Con min: 4.99% confirmed
Essex (Eastern England), Con maj: 3.95% confirmed
Gloucestershire (SW England), Lib Dem min: 4.99% confirmed
Hampshire (SE England), Con maj: 4.99% proposed
Hertfordshire (Eastern England), Lib Dem min: 4.99% confirmed
Kent (SE England), Ref maj: 3.99% confirmed
Lancashire (NW England), Ref maj: 3.80% proposed
Leicestershire (East Midlands), Ref min: 2.99% confirmed
Lincolnshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 2.90% confirmed
Norfolk (Eastern England), Con maj: 4.99% confirmed
Nottinghamshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 3.99% proposed
Oxfordshire (SE England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99% confirmed
Staffordshire (West Midlands), Ref maj: 3.99% confirmed
Suffolk (Eastern England), Con maj: 4.99% confirmed
Surrey (SE England), Con min: 4.99% confirmed
Warwickshire (West Midlands), Ref min: 4.40% confirmed
West Sussex (SE England), Con maj: 4.99% confirmed
Worcestershire (West Midlands), Ref min: 8.98% proposed
– London boroughs
Barking & Dagenham, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Barnet, Lab maj: 4.98% proposed
Bexley, Con maj: 4.99% proposed
Brent, Lab maj: 4.99% confirmed
Bromley, Con maj: 4.99% proposed
Camden, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
City of London, Ind maj: tbc
Croydon, Con min: 4.99% proposed
Ealing, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Enfield, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Greenwich, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Hackney, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Hammersmith & Fulham, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Haringey, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Harrow, Con maj: 4.99% proposed
Havering, Resident min: 4.99% proposed
Hillingdon, Con maj: 4.99% proposed
Hounslow, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Islington, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Kensington & Chelsea, Con maj: 4.99% proposed
Kingston-upon-Thames, Lib Dem maj: 4.99% proposed
Lambeth, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Lewisham, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Merton, Lab maj: 2.00% proposed
Newham, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Redbridge, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Richmond-upon-Thames, Lib Dem maj: 4.99% proposed
Southwark, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Sutton, Lib Dem maj: 4.99% proposed
Tower Hamlets, Aspire maj: 4.99% proposed
Waltham Forest, Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Wandsworth, Lab maj: 2.00% proposed
Westminster, Lab maj: 2.00% proposed
– Metropolitan boroughs:
Barnsley (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 3.40% proposed
Birmingham (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Bolton (NW England), Lab min: 4.99% proposed
Bradford (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Bury (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Calderdale (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99% confirmed
Coventry (West Midlands), Lab maj: 3.95% proposed
Doncaster (Yorkshire & Humber), Ref maj: 4.99% proposed
Dudley (West Midlands), Con min: 4.99% confirmed
Gateshead (NE England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Kirklees (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab min: 4.99% proposed
Knowsley (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Leeds (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Liverpool (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Manchester (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Newcastle-upon-Tyne (NE England), Lab min: 4.99% proposed
North Tyneside (NE England), Lab maj: 4.99% confirmed
Oldham (NW England), Lab min: 4.99% proposed
Rochdale (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Rotherham (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 3.95% proposed
Salford (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Sandwell (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Sefton (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Sheffield (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab-Lib Dem-Green: 4.99% proposed
Solihull (West Midlands), Con maj: 4.99% proposed
South Tyneside (NE England), Lab min: 4.95% proposed
St Helens (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Stockport (NW England), Lib Dem min: 4.99% proposed
Sunderland (NE England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Tameside (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Trafford (NW England), Lab maj: 7.49% proposed
Wakefield (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Walsall (West Midlands), Con maj: 4.99% proposed
Wigan (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Wirral (NW England), Lab min: 4.99% proposed
Wolverhampton (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
– Unitary authorities:
Bath & North East Somerset (SW England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99% proposed
Bedford (Eastern England), Con min: 4.99% proposed
Blackburn with Darwen (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Blackpool (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole (SW England), Lib Dem-Ind: 4.99% proposed
Bracknell Forest (SE England), Lab min: 4.99% proposed
Brighton & Hove (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Bristol (SW England), Green-Lib Dem: 4.99% confirmed
Buckinghamshire (SE England), Con min: 4.99% proposed
Central Bedfordshire (Eastern England), Ind min: 4.99% proposed
Cheshire East (NW England), Lab-Ind: 4.99% proposed
Cheshire West & Chester (NW England), Lab min: 4.99% proposed
Cornwall (SW England), Lib Dem-Ind: 4.99% proposed
Cumberland (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Darlington (NE England), Lab-Lib Dem: 4.99% confirmed
Derby (East Midlands), Lab min: 4.99% proposed
Dorset (SW England), Lib Dem-Green: 4.99% confirmed
Durham (NE England), Ref maj: 1.99% confirmed
East Riding of Yorkshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con min: 4.99% confirmed
Halton (NW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Hartlepool (NE England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Herefordshire (West Midlands), Con min: 4.99% confirmed
Hull City (Yorkshire & Humber), Lib Dem maj: 4.99% proposed
Isle of Wight (SE England), Ind-Green: 4.99% proposed
Isles of Scilly (SW England), Ind: tbc
Leicester (East Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Luton (Eastern England), Lab maj: 4.99% confirmed
Medway (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Middlesbrough (NE England), Lab maj: 2.00% confirmed
Milton Keynes (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99% confirmed
North East Lincolnshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con min: 4.50% confirmed
North Lincolnshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con maj: 4.99% proposed
North Northamptonshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 4.99% confirmed
North Somerset (SW England), Lab-Lib Dem-Green-Ind: 8.99% confirmed
North Yorkshire (Yorkshire & Humber), Con min: 4.99% confirmed
Northumberland (NE England), Con min: 4.99% confirmed
Nottingham (East Midlands), Lab maj: 3.50% proposed
Peterborough (Eastern England), Lab min: 4.99% proposed
Plymouth (SW England), Lab maj: 4.99% confirmed
Portsmouth (SE England), Lib Dem min: 4.99% proposed
Reading (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Redcar & Cleveland (NE England), Lab min: 4.99% proposed
Rutland (East Midlands), Lib Dem min: 2.00% proposed
Shropshire (West Midlands), Lib Dem maj: 8.99% proposed
Slough (SE England), Con min: 4.99% proposed
Somerset (SW England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99% proposed
South Gloucestershire (SW England), Lib Dem-Lab: 4.99% confirmed
Southampton (SE England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Southend-on-Sea (Eastern England), Lab-Lib Dem-Ind: 4.99% proposed
Stockton-on-Tees (NE England), Lab min: 4.95% confirmed
Stoke-on-Trent (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Swindon (SW England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Telford & Wrekin (West Midlands), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Thurrock (Eastern England), Lab maj: 4.99% proposed
Torbay (SW England), Con min: 4.75% proposed
Warrington (NW England), Lab maj: 7.48% proposed
West Berkshire (SE England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99% proposed
West Northamptonshire (East Midlands), Ref maj: 4.95% proposed
Westmorland & Furness (NW England), Lib Dem maj: 4.99% proposed
Wiltshire (SW England), Lib Dem-Ind: 4.99% proposed
Windsor & Maidenhead (SE England), Lib Dem maj: 7.49% proposed
Wokingham (SE England), Lib Dem maj: tbc
York (Yorkshire & Humber), Lab maj: 4.99% confirmed