Interactive map reveals how much council tax bill will rise in YOUR area as some face ‘crippling’ £214 hike in weeks
AS the cost of living crisis continues, our exclusive new map below reveals how much council tax could rise by in your area - and some face paying up to £214 more a year.
The average council tax bill is set to increase by 5%, but millions face even bigger hikes when additional charges are taken into account.
Households in one Welsh council could face the largest monetary rise in the UK, with bills set to leap by £213.59 - equivalent to a 10% hike.
Similarly, many Scottish councils are proposing increases ranging from 5-10%.
In England, Bedford Council is planning one of the steepest council tax increases in the country, with rates jumping by 9.99% from April.
For the average Band D household in Bedford, their annual local council charge will climb from £1,701.86 to £1,871.89 – an increase of £170.
The Band D council tax rate denotes the "average" or "benchmark" band in the UK.
Meanwhile, households in the London Borough of Newham and the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead face hikes of 8.99% - an annual increase of £112.64 in Newham and £117.16 in Windsor and Maidenhead.
Elsewhere, Birmingham, Somerset, and Trafford Councils have received approval to raise council tax by 7.5% from April.
For a typical Band D household, this will result in an increase of £134.48 in Birmingham, bringing the bill up to £1,793.
In Somerset, bills will go up by £130 annually, while households in Trafford will see a £120 rise.
The remaining councils are anticipated to raise bills by 5% – the maximum increase allowed without triggering the need for a local referendum.
Nevertheless, this will still result in households in areas such as Gateshead, Nottingham, Walsall, Newcastle upon Tyne, Bristol, Rutland, Liverpool, Reading and Dorset facing an additional cost of at least £100 from April.
Elsewhere, residents in the London Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Westminster, and Wandsworth – renowned for the lowest council tax rates in the country – can expect to see their bills increase by less than £50 from April.
Most councils across Scotland are also preparing to increase council tax following a freeze during the previous financial year.
Unlike in England, Scotland is not subject to strict caps, so the majority are likely to see increases between 5-10%.
Which councils are proposing the biggest hikes?
FIVE councils, all based in Wales, are proposing the largest council tax increases in monetary terms:
- Conwy County Borough Council: from £2,135.86 per year to £2,349.45 a year - up £213.59 (10%)
- Ceredigion County Council: from £2103.89 per year to £2312.17 a year - up £208.28 (9.9%)
- Carmarthenshire County Council: from £2048.03 per year to £2248.11 a year - up £200.08 (9.75%)
- Wrexham County Borough Council: from £2013.95 per year to £2213.33 a year - up £199.38 (9.9%)
- Isle of Anglesey County Council: from £1982.09 per year to £2170.39 a year - up £188.3 (9.5%)
For instance, East Lothian Council is proposing a rise of £143.56, which would see the average Band D bill increase from £1,435.62 per year to £1,579.18 - a 10% uplift.
Perth and Kinross, Scottish Borders and Shetland Islands councils are all proposing 10% increases, while North Lanarkshire Council is suggesting a slightly lower rise of 9%.
Similarly in Wales, several councils are proposing hikes of up to 10%.
For example, Conwy County Borough Council is proposing the largest increase in monetary terms in the UK, with a rise of £213.59.
This would see the average Band D Council Tax bill climb from £2,135.86 per year to £2,349.45 - a 10% increase.
April is going to bring a series of deeply unpleasant surprises for people as major increases to utility bills are matched by crippling hikes to council tax
Martyn James
Wrexham County Council is proposing a 9.9% hike, while Pembrokeshire County Council is suggesting a slightly lower rise of 9.85%.
Consumer rights expert Martyn James said: "April is going to bring a series of deeply unpleasant surprises for people, as major increases to utility bills are matched by crippling hikes to council tax.
"There's not much you can do to fight back against the rises, other than see if you are in the wrong council tax band.
"You can also check the gov.uk website to see if you are one of the many groups of people who might qualify for a partial reduction."
Why is my bill shooting up?
In England, local authorities can increase council tax by up to 4.99% each April without holding a referendum to gain public approval.
This is broken down into a 2.99% increase for general spending and a 2% precept for adult social care.
However, depending on your location, you could end up paying even more than the figures outlined above, as these do not account for additional charges.
For instance, if you live in London, you are required to pay the Greater London Authority (GLA) precept.
The Mayor of London has proposed a 4% increase in the GLA precept for 2025–26, which would add £18.98 to the average Band D council tax bill.
This would bring the total GLA precept to £490.38, which is applied in addition to the charges set by your London borough.
In areas governed by 'two-tier authorities', where responsibilities are divided between two councils, your council tax bill is split into two charges - one set by your county council and another determined by your district, borough, or city council.
District councils are permitted to increase their portion of the charge by up to 3% annually without the need for a referendum.
However, these charges have been excluded from our dataset.
In addition, your council tax also includes contributions towards local police and crime commissioners, fire and rescue services, as well as any applicable town or parish council charges.
In Scotland and Wales, all local authorities operate as single-tier councils, managing all local charges, meaning residents typically only pay one primary charge.
Although there is no formal cap imposed by the devolved governments, an informal guideline of a 5% limit has been observed in the past.
All local authorities are set to finalise their council tax increases by late February or early March, with the new rates coming into effect from 1 April.
This five minute hack got me a £2,000 refund
JOURNALIST Emma Robertson reveals how a quick, simple check saved her some serious cash.
Logging onto the government website to check our council tax band, I quickly realised we were paying £2,256 per year while our neighbours were paying £336 less.
Our home was listed as a Band E, while the similar three bed semi-detached houses either side were Band D.
I then looked at the houses nearby classed as Band E and noticed they were all extended houses and had also added another bedroom.
And that meant we had been overpaying since we bought the property in December 2018.
It was really straight forward. Once you’ve input your own postcode, the website lists all the addresses around you and what band they’re in.
I submitted a challenge online and it took five minutes to fill out and three months later I received a letter explaining I was due a £2,000 refund.
We are not alone - one in 20 homes in the UK or 400,000 people are in a too high council tax band.
It’s also important to note that your band could go up as a result of the challenge however - or your neighbours' property could be changed.
Firstly, you need to check your neighbours' banding, which can be done through the government website.
And secondly, you need to do a valuation check of what your house would have been in 1991.
It was in 1991 that the new council tax system was launched and there wasn’t enough time to do the task accurately so mistakes were made.
As a result of that, over three million people have now challenged their banding and are still waiting for their refunds to go through.
But I was one of the lucky ones and just three months after submitting my challenge in March 2024, I received a letter advising me that we were being down banded from E to D and that I was due refund.
Check if you can claim a council tax refund
Over three million households are owed a combined total of £544million in council tax refunds, according to a Sun investigation last month.
The average refund due is around £178, but some could be owed as much as £3,659.
Sun Money submitted a Freedom of Information Request to all 349 local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales to find out just how much taxpayer money our councils are sitting on.
You can check to see how much cash your local authority might be sitting on by searching for your council in our tool.
It's surprisingly easy to overpay your council tax, and millions of us do.
One of the main reasons is moving house.
Council tax is usually billed annually from April to April, but paid in instalments, which means you're always paying some in advance.
Therefore, if you move out before the year's end, you'll likely be due a refund for the remaining months.
Another reason for overpayments is a change in your property's council tax band.
If the band is lowered, you're due a refund for the over payments made at the higher rate.
Finally, forgetting to cancel your direct debit after moving out can lead to continued payments and further overpayments.
Finding out if you're owed a council tax refund is easier than you think.
Many councils have online claim forms available on their website. To find your local council's site, visit here.
You can also contact them directly by phone, email, or live chat.
What council tax support is available?
By James Flanders, Chief Consumer Reporter
There are several ways you can get discounts and reductions on your council tax bill.
In some cases, you can even get the bill completely wiped with a council tax reduction.
Factors such as your household income, whether you have children, and if you receive any benefits, will influence what you get. To apply, visit here.
You'll need your National Insurance number, bank statements, a recent payslip or letter from the Jobcentre, and a passport or driving licence when filling out the details.
Below, we reveal all the ways you can get discounts or a reduction on your bill:
Single person discount
If you live on your own, you can get 25% off your council tax bill.
This also applies if there is one adult and one student living together, or one adult and one person classed as severely mentally impaired.
If you live with someone who doesn't have to pay council tax, such as a carer or someone who is severely mentally impaired, you could get a larger reduction too, of up to 50%.
And, if you live in an all-student household, you could get a 100% discount.
Retirees
Pensioners may also find themselves eligible for a council tax reduction.
If you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you may not have to pay a penny.
If not, you could still get help if you have a low income and less than £16,000 in savings.
And a pensioner who lives alone will be entitled to a 25% discount too.
Low-income households
If you are on a low income or receiving benefits, you could be eligible for a reduction on your council tax, depending on where you live.
You could also get a deferral if you're struggling to pay your bill, or you can speak to your council about setting up a payment plan to manage the cost.
But one thing to remember is if you are struggling you should contact your council as early as you can.