Q&As and further advice | Shropshire Council

How much more will I be expected to pay?

Council tax bills will go up for a number of reasons, including our rise, plus town/parish council precepts and funding for the police and fire services. The table below shows how much extra people will be paying per month as a result of the council tax rise for the Shropshire Council element only. These figures don’t include the police, fire or town and parish precepts.

For the total amount that you'll pay in council tax for 2026-27, including all precepts, please see our current council tax band charges.

Band: A
Annual payment 2025/26: £1,204.45
Annual payment 2026/27 (with 8.99% rise): £1,312.73
Increase per month: £10.83

Band: B
Annual payment 2025/26: £1,405.19
Annual payment 2026/27 (with 8.99% rise): £1,531.51
Increase per month: £12.63

Band: C
Annual payment 2025/26: £1,605.93
Annual payment 2026/27 (with 8.99% rise): £1,750.30
Increase per month: £14.44

Band: D
Annual payment 2025/26: £1,806.67
Annual payment 2026/27 (with 8.99% rise): £1,969.09
Increase per month: £16.24

Band: E
Annual payment 2025/26: £2,208.15
Annual payment 2026/27 (with 8.99% rise): £2,406.67
Increase per month: £19.85

Band: F
Annual payment 2025/26: £2,609.63
Annual payment 2026/27 (with 8.99% rise): £2,844.24
Increase per month: £23.46

Band: G
Annual payment 2025/26: £3,011.12
Annual payment 2026/27 (with 8.99% rise): £3,281.82
Increase per month: £27.07

Band: H
Annual payment 2025/26: £3,613.34
Annual payment 2026/27 (with 8.99% rise): £3,938.18
Increase per month: £32.48

Why do we need to raise council tax?

Council tax is one of the few ways we can raise much-needed income. Demand for adult and children’s social care continues to rise, while government funding for Shropshire is reducing in real terms.

On average, councils will be receiving 17% more funding by 2028/29, while Shropshire will be receiving 12% less.

Even among rural councils (green line on graph), which have generally had less favourable settlements, Shropshire has been hit particularly hard in the most recent funding settlement which was announced in early February 2026.

Haven't we already made savings?

Yes—more than £158m over eight years—but pressures have grown faster than savings.

We have already made some very difficult decisions, but we can’t continue to make savings on this scale without significantly impacting on the services that we legally have to provide.

How does our Council Tax compare with other local authorities?

For the current financial year, council tax in Shropshire remains below the average when compared with other unitary authorities. The below graph shows that the amount households pay here is still lower than many comparable councils.

Across the country, a large number of councils are facing significant financial pressures. As a result, many will have chosen to increase council tax by 4.99%, which is the cap set by government. Some will have also sought permission to increase it further.

Although council tax forms an important part of our funding, it doesn't fully cover the rising demand and costs we face - pressures that are being felt by councils nationwide.

What help is available for people who can’t afford to pay?

Take a look at our council tax assistance pages for further advice and support.

The easiest way to tell us that you've changed address, to set up a direct debit, to register for e-billing, to apply for or cancel a single person discount, to upload evidence, and for many other things is through our online system.

If you already pay council tax in Shropshire, you may need your council tax account number, found on your latest council tax notice.

If you're new to the area, or aren’t currently a council taxpayer, for example because you're moving out of the parental home, you won’t have a reference, but you can still tell us that you've moved into a property.