Introduction
Your council tax pays for essential local services in your community such as schools, libraries, police and rubbish collection. Council tax is charged on all residential properties in England. One council tax bill is sent to each property, however many people live there.
Why the Council had to increase your Council Tax
Last year, the Council declared a financial emergency. We are one of many councils facing significant pressures on our finances driven by soaring costs and demand for services – notably in social care. The Government has now acknowledged this national problem and promised reform and additional funds in key areas like social care by 2028. This is welcome news, but in Somerset we cannot wait until 2028.
The majority of Council Tax is now spent on statutory social care. These are vital services looking after older people, people with disabilities, and children in care. It is going towards paying to help the growing number of people in Somerset with significant needs, and the cost of this support is increasing. For example, with a shortage of placements nationally, the cost of residential care for a child with complex needs can be up to £25000 a week.
We’ve taken lots of difficult decisions to find savings, including reducing the number of staff and managers we employ to save £34m. Regrettably, we’ve also had to increase our share of Council Tax by £2.49 a week (for a Band D property) with special permission from the Government. But your bill will still be below the national average.
We know that this comes as a further blow to our residents who rely on our services and are already struggling during a cost-of-living crisis, but Somerset Council has no choice but to raise Council Tax and consider severe reductions to public services.
More information can be found in the Somerset Council budget setting papers from the council meeting on 5 March 2025.
Council Tax bands
The amount of Council Tax you must pay depends on your property’s ‘valuation band’. These bands are set by the Valuation Office Agency based on how much your property was worth on 1 April 1991, not its current value. The lower the value of your home, the less you will pay. You can check your Council Tax band on the GOV.UK website.
Council Tax charges
Your bill is made up of charges set by:
- Somerset Council (including a sum paid to the Somerset Rivers Authority) with an additional precept to help fund Adult Social Care
- Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner
- Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
- Local Parish, Town or City Councils
Your bill will show the percentage increases in the various charges from the charges for the previous financial year.
The Council Tax charge for Somerset Council
The Council Tax charged by Somerset Council is split into two parts, one to help fund the general costs of the Council and the other to specifically assist with funding the costs of Adult Social Care. The Government usually allows councils to increase Council Tax by a maximum of 2.99% for general expenditure and an additional 2% for Adult Social Care. This year, Somerset Council made a request to government for exceptional financial support, and they have allowed us to increase Council Tax by an additional 2.5% above the referendum threshold.
The other authorities who levy a Council Tax charge (that is the Police, Fire and Parish, Town or City Councils) can also increase their charges. Both the police and fire services have set a 5% increase for 2025/26. There is no limit on Parish, Town and City Councils increases. Details of the increases allowed for 2025/26 by Government can be found in The Referendums Relating to Council Tax Increases (Principles) (England) Report 2025-26. The total amount you pay for your Council Tax bill can go up by more than 7.5%. This can happen even if Somerset Council sticks to the 7.5% limit set by the Government. Where this happens, it is because of the combined effect of the increase applied by other charging organisations, as detailed on your bill.
For the 2025/26 financial year the following amounts have been agreed by the Council for properties in Band D for Somerset Council. (Please note the amounts charged will vary depending on which band your property is in. Details of the amounts for other bands can be found in Council Tax charges by band and parish 2025/26 document.
| Charge for 2025/26 | % increase | |
|---|---|---|
| Somerset Council (for general expenditure) | Charge for 2025/26£1593.67 | % increase |
| Adult Social Care | Charge for 2025/26£263.94 | % increase |
| Total for Somerset Council | Charge for 2025/26£1857.61 | % increase7.49% (showing as 7.5% on your bill) |
The Adult Social Care Precept
With effect from the 2016/17 financial year, councils with adult social care responsibilities have been allowed to charge an additional amount of Council Tax specifically to help fund services in this area.
Between 2016/17 and 2024/25 the charge for adult social care had to be shown as a separate charge on your Council Tax bill.
From 2025/26 Government have removed the requirement to show the charge for Adult Social Care charge separately, so your bill will now only show one total charge for Somerset Council with one annual percentage increase.
Parish, Town and City Councils
Where a Parish, Town or City Council sets a budget of more than £140,000 a year, we must show details of their expenditure plans.
The parishes and town councils this applies to
Bridgwater, Bruton, Burnham on Sea and Highbridge, Castle Cary, Chard Town, Cheddar, Crewkerne Town, Frome, Glastonbury, Ilminster Town, Martock, Milborne Port, Minehead, North Petherton, Shepton Mallet, Somerton, South Petherton, St Cuthbert Out, Street, Taunton, Watchet, Wellington, Wells, West Monkton, Williton, Wincanton Town, Yeovil Town.
You can find Parish Council contact details on our Democracy website.
How to pay your Council Tax
The payments you need to make will be detailed at the foot of your bill. Where you pay by direct debit you need to take no further action and the payments will be taken directly from your bank or building society account on the dates shown. You can find out more on our Pay your Council Tax page.
How we can lower your bill
We can reduce your council tax bill by awarding:
- A discount – Your bill assumes there are at least two adults living in your home. If only one adult lives there, we can lower the council tax by 25%. Some people are not counted as living in a property for council tax purposes. This means if there is more than one adult living in your home, you could still get a discount.
- An exemption – Some properties are free from Council Tax.
- Council Tax Reduction – For people on low incomes.
- A disabled persons band reduction because an adult or child living in the home needs to use a wheelchair indoors. They may also need a special room within the house because of their disability.
- A discretionary Exceptional Hardship payment.
One or more of these reductions may apply to your home.
Not paying Council Tax
If you are struggling to pay your Council Tax, please contact us as soon as possible. Find out more about Non-payment of Council Tax and the help and support available.