Households across Merseyside are going to be asked to contribute more through their council tax once again this year
Council tax bills are set to rise for most households in the country from April. The bulk of councils are set to increase bills by the maximum amount. This stands at 4.99% without town halls having to trigger a referendum.
Earlier this month, two councils in Merseyside confirmed they would put council tax up by the maximum rate allowed – Liverpool and Knowsley have both set their budgets, with an increase rate of 4.99%
In Liverpool, a further £56m in cuts have been made from the city council’s budget – Cllr Liam Robinson, leader of the city council, said he was proud to deliver a “balanced and robust” budget for the next 12 months but said council tax “doesn’t work for cities like Liverpool.”
It is hoped the additional council tax revenue will bring in a further £19m to the Cunard coffers in 2026/27 – The increase determines the band D charge to be £2,254.37 for the city council element of the council tax bill, with payments of around £28 a week to the authority.
In Knowsley, the borough’s finance lead admitted government support was still not enough – Cllr Jayne Lonergan, cabinet member for resources, said “difficult decisions” had to be made given the council’s increasing financial pressures and rising demand for services.
The cabinet member said the increase would add around 25p a week to a Band A council tax bill – Officials warned if they did not go up, around £4m of funding would be lost annually.
The increase is split across council services – The additional 2% is specifically ring fenced towards the continuing increase in social care costs across the Liverpool City Region.
Opponents weren’t amused in either area – Cllr Kai Taylor, leader of the opposition Green Party group, said Knowsley’s budget was a “sticking plaster” while in Liverpool, Cllr Carl Cashman, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said there was an imbalance between what the people of Liverpool were paying into the city compared to what they get back.
In Wirral, some people will soon see a huge rise in their council tax after a £4m cut was made to a support scheme. It is feared a £557 rise could put families “under even more severe pressure” but others argue “the borough would have been bust” without the cut.
From April, everyone eligible to pay council tax will be asked to pay at least 50% of the bill. This is following a decision made by Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, and Reform councillors to cut a council tax support scheme and save £4m to balance the books.
The changes mean that someone in a Band A property previously paying 17.5% of their council tax would now see a rise in their annual bill by £557.21 this year. A hardship fund has been doubled to £200,000 for those in need and will be reviewed.
The Green Party are opposed to this cut suggesting borrowing the money from the UK Government instead. This has been criticised as it would increase the council’s borrowing at a time when the local authority is being warned about its debt levels.
Elsewhere in the country, some local authorities were given special permission by the government to go beyond the maximum.
North Somerset and Shropshire will both be increasing bills by 8.99%. Worcestershire County council, meanwhile, will be putting up bills by 8.98%.
Both Trafford and Windsor & Maidenhead will be increasing by 7.49%, and Warrington by 7.48%.
You can find out how much your bills will increase by using our interactive gadget. Simply enter your postcode to see the increase by your council.
The percentage increases have been collected thanks to extensive research by the Mirror.
They cover the rises in every lower tier and upper tier council. They do not include, however, police and fire increases, parish council precepts or mayoral increases.
