Council tax bills went up again in April 2026 across most of Great Britain. If your bill looks higher than last year, you are not imagining it. Here is what is behind the rise and what it means depending on where you live.
What happened to council tax in 2026/27?
The government set rules for how much councils in England can raise their bills without holding a local referendum.
For 2026/27, the cap sits at 4.99% in total. That figure is made up of a core 3% increase plus a 2% adult social care precept that most councils are allowed to add on top.
In practice, the average actual rise across English councils came in at roughly 4.9%, meaning most councils went close to the maximum permitted amount.
A simple way to think about it: a household in Band D paying around £2,100 a year in 2025/26 could see their bill rise by roughly £100 to £105 for 2026/27, depending on their council.
Why can some London boroughs charge more?
A small number of London boroughs received special dispensation from the government to raise bills above the standard 4.99% cap. This is occasionally granted where a council can demonstrate serious financial difficulty.
Where such dispensation applies, the permitted rise can be higher, sometimes significantly so. The affected boroughs are named in the government's settlement documents each year. Checking your bill against your local council's published rate is the clearest way to understand what applies to your household.
How do Wales and Scotland differ?
Wales: There is no equivalent cap on council tax increases in Wales. Each local authority sets its own rate, and the Welsh Government publishes guidance but does not impose a hard ceiling. Rises in Wales have varied considerably by area.
Scotland: Scottish councils also operate without a formal UK-wide cap. The Scottish Government has historically encouraged councils to keep rises modest, and it sometimes provides additional funding to reduce pressure on bills, but local authorities retain the decision.
The important bit is that a "UK average" figure does not really exist for council tax. The rules, the cap, and the actual rise differ by nation and by council.
Who is most likely to feel this?
- Households already stretched on a tight budget, where a £100-plus annual rise (roughly £8 to £9 a month extra) adds meaningful pressure.
- People who moved recently and may not have compared their new bill against the previous year's.
- Anyone on a fixed income who did not expect the change.
- Renters, because landlords can and sometimes do factor rising council tax into rent reviews, depending on who pays the bill.
Council tax is a priority bill. Missing payments can lead to enforcement action more quickly than with unsecured debts, so it is worth acting early if the new amount is difficult to afford.
What can help if the bill is hard to manage?
If the 2026/27 bill is putting pressure on your finances, a few steps are worth considering.
Check whether you qualify for a Council Tax Reduction (sometimes called Council Tax Support). This is a means-tested discount administered by your local council. Eligibility varies by area, but it is available to people on low incomes, certain benefits, and other qualifying circumstances.
A single-person discount of 25% applies automatically if only one adult lives in a property. If your household changed and you have not claimed this, it is worth asking your council to apply it.
Some councils also allow payments to be spread across 12 months rather than 10, which lowers each individual payment without changing the annual total.
MoneyHelper (0800 138 7777) can help you understand your options and point you towards local support schemes.
What to read next
If the rise in your council tax bill is adding pressure on top of other debts or borrowing costs, these guides may be useful:
You may also find the budget planner helpful for seeing where council tax fits into your monthly outgoings.
Sources
- UK Government: local government finance settlement 2026/27, [uk-government]
- MoneyHelper: council tax guidance, [moneyhelper]