Council Tax to rise for millions in April with most facing at least 5% hikes – here's what you need to know

In England and Wales, the increases in Council Tax bills follow similar rises last year. But in Scotland, Council Tax is going up for the first time in two years, as rates were frozen in 2024-25. Northern Ireland uses a different system known as 'rates'.

What's happening to Council Tax bills in April

Here's what you can expect depending on where you live:

• In England, most local authorities are restricted to increasing Council Tax by a maximum of 5% this year. While many councils in England are still in the process of confirming rates, here's what we know so far:
  

  England Council Tax rises expected in 2025/26

  Almost all English councils are set to raise Council Tax by 5% That's according to analysis by the County Councils Network, which represents England's largest councils covering 26 million residents. In the current tax year, 2024-25, Council Tax on a typical band D property in England is an average of £2,171. A 5% rise would be equivalent to around £109, taking that average band D bill to £2,280.

  A few councils have permission to enact bigger hikes Birmingham City – up 7.5% City of Bradford – up 10% London Borough of Newham – up 9% Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead – up 9% Somerset – up 7.5% Trafford – up 7.5% The six councils above have been granted special permission by the Government to raise Council Tax by more than the 5% cap without having to do a referendum. This permission is generally given in exceptional circumstances, for example, where the local authority has serious financial problems.

• In Scotland, most homes will see a rise in Council Tax of at least 8%. Council Tax rates in Scotland were frozen during the 2024-25 tax year. However, all 32 councils have opted to hike rates tax this year.
  

  Scotland Council Tax rises expected in 2025/26

  Aberdeen City up 9.85%	Aberdeenshire up 10%
  Angus up 11%	Argyll and Bute up 9.9%
  City of Edinburgh up 8%	Clackmannanshire up 13%
  Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar up 7.5%	Dumfries and Galloway up 9%
  Dundee City up 8%	East Ayrshire up 8%
  East Dunbartonshire up 13%	East Lothian up 10%
  East Renfrewshire up 8%	Falkirk up 15.61%
  Fife up 8.2%	Glasgow City up 7.5%
  Highland up 7%	Inverclyde up 8.5%
  Midlothian up 10%	Moray up 10%
  North Ayrshire up 7%	North Lanarkshire up 10%
  Orkney Islands up 15%	Perth & Kinross up 9.5%
  Renfrewshire up 9.5%	Scottish Borders up 10%
  Shetland Islands up 10%	South Ayrshire up 8%
  South Lanarkshire up 6%	Stirling up 8.8%
  West Dunbartonshire up 11.5%	West Lothian up 8.95%

• In Wales, homes will see Council Tax rises of 4.5% to 9.5%. You can see what your council is doing in the list below.
  

  Wales Council Tax rises expected in 2025/26

  Blaenau Gwent up 4.95%	Bridgend up 4.5%
  Caerphilly up 7.9%	Cardiff up 4.95%
  Carmarthenshire up 8.9%	Ceredigion up 9.3%
  Conwy up 8.95%	Denbighshire up 6.07%
  Flintshire up 9.5%	Gwynedd up 8.66%
  Isle of Anglesey up 8.5%	Merthyr Tydfil up 5.5%
  Monmouthshire up 7.8%	Neath Port Talbot up 7%
  Newport City up 6.7%	Pembrokeshire up 9.35%
  Powys up 8.9%	Rhondda Cynon Taf up 4.8%
  City and County of Swansea up 5.95%	Torfaen up 4.95%
  Vale of Glamorgan up 5.9%	Wrexham up 9.5%

How Council Tax bill hikes are calculated

Council Tax bills are complex and made up of different elements. Exactly how much you pay also depends on your Council Tax band, which is based on your property's value.

In England, any increase to your bill can be made up of some or all of the following elements in 2025-26 – so how much you'll pay in total, and the exact percentage rise you'll see, will depend on which elements apply to you:

• Your local council element – though this can be split into two parts. The maximum this can rise by is 3%, with this funding going towards council services.

  - If you live in a 'single-tier authority' area, where one council looks after all your services, there will be one fee to pay.

  - For those in 'two-tier authority' areas, where two councils cover services, there are two fees – one set by your county council, and another set by your district, borough or city council. How much of your bill goes towards each council varies by authority, but county councils tend to take the largest share.

• A charge for adult social care. The maximum this can rise by this year is 2%. This charge is usually included alongside your council rate, meaning a combined total increase for many of 5%.

• Additional, separate 'mayoral' charges in London, Liverpool, Manchester and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough. These are made up of different elements, which go towards the cost of services including transport, policing and fire and rescue. They're set to rise by 4.03% in London, 14.2% in Manchester and 26.3% in Liverpool this year (the rate has been frozen in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough).

• Other associated costs. The maximum increase for this is set by the council. This covers fees to police units, fire and rescue services and any town/parish councils.

In Scotland and Wales, your bill is also split into a number of elements – but these aren't individually capped.

How to save on Council Tax bills

Make sure you're not missing out on support to help pay your Council Tax bills:

• Check if you're eligible for a Council Tax discount. Many people qualify for discounts or reductions of between 25% and 100% off their Council Tax bill, potentially saving £100s – or even £1,000s – each year.
  
  This can include full-time students, people on low incomes and/or benefits, adults living alone (or only with under-18s), carers, people with disabilities and households that contain people with what's known as a 'severe mental impairment'.
  
  However, it's up to YOU to flag to your council whether you might be eligible for a discount – for help with this, see our Council Tax discounts guide.

• Check your property is in the right band. Many homes in England and Scotland are in the wrong Council Tax band, and have been since 1991. However, challenging your band is not something to do speculatively without checking, for one simple reason: you can't just ask for your band to be lowered – only for a reassessment, which means it could be moved up or down, so your bills could rise or fall. We've full step-by-step help in our Check & Challenge guide.