UK households could have council tax 'frozen' at £1,668

There are calls for a council tax freeze after analysis showed receipts have TRIPLED in just 24 years. Since the introduction of the council tax system in 1993-94, council tax has increased in real terms by 79 per cent.

Campaigners are demanding the new Labour Party government "freeze council tax" . Total receipts have risen from £12.2billion to £38.5billion in the past 24 years - with receipts having increased by 61 per cent in the last 10 years alone.

Grassroots development manager of the TaxPayers’ Alliance Benjamin Elks said that councils should “freeze council tax.” He added: “Local taxpayers will be outraged to see that they’re handing over more and more while basic services continue to crumble."

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The average council tax per dwelling will be £1,668 in 2024-25, an increase of 5.7% over 2023-24. He added: “As household budgets are squeezed, local authorities squander cash on pet projects, pointless non-jobs, and risky property speculation, all the while leaving residents with the bill. Councils should crackdown on waste and freeze council tax, giving some relief to hard-working local taxpayers.”

A spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: "In recent years, council tax has increasingly been relied on too heavily by Government to increase councils’ core spending power. This has left councils facing the difficult choice about raising bills to bring in desperately needed funding at a time when they are acutely aware of the significant burden that could place on some households.

"While council tax it is an important funding stream, it has never been the solution to the long-term pressures facing councils who ultimately need greater long-term funding certainty to protect services and keep bills as low as possible."

If the property didn’t exist in 1991, an estimate of its value will be made based on the property’s size, layout, style and location compared to similar properties in the same area. In England and Wales, the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) will make the assessment, whereas in Scotland it’s the Scottish Assessors Association (SAA).