Domesday Live

Why is council tax going up?

Councils pay for local services, and the costs of social care for adults and children have grown fast while government grants fell. Council tax is the main thing councils can raise themselves, and the government sets how much it can go up each year without a local vote.

Why it happens

• Social care costs are climbing. Looking after older people and children takes up a very large share of a council's budget, and the cost has grown faster than the money coming in.
• Government grants fell, so councils lean on council tax. Central government funding for councils was cut sharply in the 2010s. Councils filled part of the gap with council tax, so it now pays for more of what they do.
• There is a limit on rises. In England, a council that wants to raise council tax by more than a limit set by the government must hold a local vote. Most councils raise it by close to the limit each year.
• Prices and wages have risen. Councils pay staff and buy energy, fuel and contracts, so higher inflation puts up the cost of keeping services running.