Households face council tax hikes from today

Households face council tax hikes as high as £191 from today

The latest analysis by finance specialists, RIFT, has revealed which areas of the nation are set to see the largest hikes to council tax as the new financial year begins, with the average household in England set to see an increase of 5% or £109 per year.

With the 1st April bringing the start of a new financial year, households across the nation are set to see the cost of their council tax increase and RIFT has revealed how much more the average household will be paying based on the increase to the average Band D tax cost.

RIFT's analysis shows that the average household in England will now face a bill of £2,280 for the 2025/26 financial year, an increase of 5%, or £109 per year, versus 2024/25.

Bradford set to see largest council tax hike

However, some areas of the nation are set to see a far steep hike and nowhere more so than Bradford, where the average council tax bill is set to rise by 9.3% or £191 per year. Not only is this the highest percentage increase, but it's also the largest monetary jump as well.

After Bradford, it's Windsor and Maidenhead where council tax is set to increase the most, with the average household bill up 8.3% or £140 per year.

Households across the London Borough of Newham, Trafford and Somerset will see the third largest hike at 7.6%.

This will push the average bill in Somerset up by £172 per year, the second largest pounds and pence increase after Bradford, whilst households in Newham and Trafford will see respective increases of £132 and £150 per year.

Other areas to see some of the largest hikes include Birmingham (7.4% or £154), North Somerset (6% or £130) and York (5.9% or £122).

See how much council tax in your area is set to climb here.

Bradley Post, MD of RIFT, commented:

"Whilst inflation may have eased considerably since the peak seen towards the back end of 2022, it's not yet been tamed, and we're yet to see it fall to the Bank of England's target rate of 2%.

As a result, the cost of living remains a considerable concern for households across the nation and it's fair to say that many will have been disappointed to see little in the way of help provided by the Government in both last week's Spring Statement and the previous Autumn Budget.

Unfortunately a new financial year brings further tax hikes along with it, with one of the most notable for households being an increase to council tax. From today, the average household across England will be hit with a 5% increase, which will see the cost of their council tax bill climb by £109 over the course of the year."

Data tables and sources