Last updated: 28 October 2026 · Data for 2025-26 (arrears at 31 March 2026) · Compiled by IVA Advice Online from MHCLG official statistics
How much council tax is unpaid in your area? This page shows council tax arrears and collection rates for every council in England that collects council tax, from the government's latest figures. Search for your council, or sort the table by any column. To compare councils of different sizes fairly, we've also worked out arrears per home.
£7.42bncouncil tax arrears in England at 31 March 2026
£288arrears for every home in England, on average
95.6%of 2025-26 council tax collected by 31 March 2026 (down from 95.9%)
Council tax arrears in England
- Total council tax arrears in England reached £7.42 billion at 31 March 2026, up from £6.65 billion a year earlier.1
- Of that total, £2.16 billion was unpaid 2025-26 council tax and £5.26 billion related to earlier years.1
- The arrears include £488 million of court and administration costs added to accounts.1
- 214 of the 296 councils (72%) collected a smaller share of their 2025-26 council tax than they did the year before.1
Find your council
| Council | Region | Total arrears | Arrears per home | 2025-26 collection rate | Change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adur | South East | £7.3m | £251 | 96.0% | −0.5 |
| Amber Valley | East Midlands | £2.1m | £34 | 98.5% | −0.1 |
| Arun | South East | £14.9m | £187 | 96.4% | −0.5 |
| Ashfield | East Midlands | £12.2m | £210 | 96.1% | −0.1 |
| Ashford | South East | £10.5m | £177 | 96.6% | −0.3 |
| Babergh | East of England | £3.9m | £88 | 98.3% | −0.8 |
| Barking & Dagenham | London | £35.7m | £435 | 92.4% | −0.4 |
| Barnet | London | £85.3m | £530 | 92.8% | −1.2 |
| Barnsley | Yorkshire and the Humber | £15.2m | £131 | 96.2% | −0.3 |
| Basildon | East of England | £24.2m | £301 | 96.3% | −0.3 |
| Basingstoke & Deane | South East | £6.1m | £74 | 98.2% | +0.1 |
| Bassetlaw | East Midlands | £16.1m | £278 | 94.7% | −0.6 |
| Bath & North East Somerset | South West | £11.7m | £134 | 96.5% | −0.1 |
| Bedford | East of England | £23.1m | £285 | 96.5% | −0.1 |
| Bexley | London | £57.6m | £566 | 94.8% | −0.2 |
| Birmingham | West Midlands | £272.7m | £583 | 90.0% | −1.0 |
| Blaby | East Midlands | £6.5m | £146 | 97.4% | 0.0 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | North West | £17.5m | £273 | 95.3% | 0.0 |
| Blackpool | North West | £33.4m | £459 | 90.0% | +0.3 |
| Bolsover | East Midlands | £6.1m | £155 | 97.1% | +0.2 |
| Bolton | North West | £38.0m | £294 | 93.7% | −0.2 |
| Boston | East Midlands | £12.5m | £390 | 93.7% | −0.1 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole | South West | £53.9m | £283 | 94.8% | −0.6 |
| Bracknell Forest | South East | £14.1m | £257 | 97.0% | +0.3 |
| Bradford | Yorkshire and the Humber | £51.0m | £227 | 93.5% | −0.5 |
| Braintree | East of England | £10.2m | £144 | 97.4% | −0.2 |
| Breckland | East of England | £10.0m | £150 | 96.9% | −0.3 |
| Brent | London | £101.8m | £750 | 91.6% | −0.4 |
| Brentwood | East of England | £7.5m | £211 | 97.3% | −0.4 |
| Brighton and Hove | South East | £43.7m | £321 | 93.5% | −1.3 |
| Bristol | South West | £60.0m | £282 | 93.5% | −0.5 |
| Broadland | East of England | £4.8m | £75 | 98.1% | +0.2 |
| Bromley | London | £36.4m | £253 | 96.8% | −0.1 |
| Bromsgrove | West Midlands | £7.9m | £184 | 97.8% | 0.0 |
| Broxbourne | East of England | £14.3m | £337 | 96.9% | +0.4 |
| Broxtowe | East Midlands | £5.2m | £99 | 97.8% | +0.1 |
| Buckinghamshire UA | South East | £40.6m | £170 | 98.1% | −0.2 |
| Burnley | North West | £15.8m | £367 | 94.1% | +0.1 |
| Bury | North West | £34.1m | £398 | 95.3% | −0.3 |
| Calderdale | Yorkshire and the Humber | £34.2m | £351 | 95.3% | −0.5 |
| Cambridge | East of England | £4.2m | £69 | 98.1% | −0.8 |
| Camden | London | £40.7m | £357 | 93.0% | −1.8 |
| Cannock Chase | West Midlands | £12.7m | £275 | 96.8% | −0.2 |
| Canterbury | South East | £20.4m | £281 | 95.9% | −0.6 |
| Castle Point | East of England | £6.4m | £161 | 97.9% | +0.5 |
| Central Bedfordshire | East of England | £22.9m | £170 | 97.5% | −0.3 |
| Charnwood | East Midlands | £16.8m | £210 | 96.0% | −0.3 |
| Chelmsford | East of England | £22.6m | £275 | 96.6% | −0.1 |
| Cheltenham | South West | £4.6m | £79 | 98.0% | −0.2 |
| Cherwell | South East | £10.3m | £142 | 97.8% | −0.2 |
| Cheshire East | North West | £30.4m | £159 | 97.5% | −0.3 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | North West | £34.4m | £206 | 96.8% | +0.1 |
| Chesterfield | East Midlands | £9.1m | £177 | 96.3% | 0.0 |
| Chichester | South East | £8.6m | £139 | 97.1% | −0.3 |
| Chorley | North West | £8.6m | £161 | 96.7% | −0.1 |
| City of London | London | £460k | £57 | 98.1% | −0.7 |
| Colchester | East of England | £13.1m | £151 | 97.6% | 0.0 |
| Cornwall | South West | £51.3m | £178 | 96.6% | −0.3 |
| Cotswold | South West | £6.0m | £130 | 97.9% | −0.3 |
| Coventry | West Midlands | £36.9m | £240 | 93.4% | −0.1 |
| Crawley | South East | £7.2m | £152 | 97.1% | 0.0 |
| Croydon | London | £106.7m | £632 | 94.2% | −0.2 |
| Cumberland | North West | £27.5m | £198 | 95.9% | −0.2 |
| Dacorum | East of England | £12.4m | £181 | 97.2% | −0.1 |
| Darlington | North East | £7.9m | £147 | 96.5% | +0.2 |
| Dartford | South East | £13.8m | £271 | 95.5% | −0.3 |
| Derby | East Midlands | £38.9m | £337 | 93.4% | +0.1 |
| Derbyshire Dales | East Midlands | £5.6m | £157 | 97.4% | −0.2 |
| Doncaster | Yorkshire and the Humber | £40.9m | £282 | 93.9% | −0.2 |
| Dorset | South West | £64.0m | £340 | 95.1% | −0.9 |
| Dover | South East | £18.0m | £320 | 96.0% | −0.5 |
| Dudley | West Midlands | £32.9m | £231 | 94.9% | −1.4 |
| Durham | North East | £59.0m | £230 | 95.1% | −0.1 |
| Ealing | London | £35.4m | £236 | 95.9% | −1.0 |
| East Cambridgeshire | East of England | £5.6m | £135 | 97.5% | −0.2 |
| East Devon | South West | £6.5m | £86 | 98.2% | −0.3 |
| East Hampshire | South East | £5.0m | £88 | 98.2% | −0.1 |
| East Hertfordshire | East of England | £15.1m | £221 | 96.9% | +0.1 |
| East Lindsey | East Midlands | £18.5m | £253 | 95.5% | 0.0 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | £23.6m | £141 | 97.0% | +0.1 |
| East Staffordshire | West Midlands | £14.8m | £261 | 95.2% | −0.6 |
| East Suffolk | East of England | £18.4m | £149 | 97.3% | −0.1 |
| Eastbourne | South East | £26.4m | £530 | 96.1% | +0.1 |
| Eastleigh | South East | £10.8m | £176 | 97.1% | −0.1 |
| Elmbridge | South East | £7.7m | £127 | 98.2% | 0.0 |
| Enfield | London | £60.2m | £469 | 92.1% | +0.2 |
| Epping Forest | East of England | £16.3m | £277 | 96.8% | −0.3 |
| Epsom and Ewell | South East | £1.9m | £58 | 99.0% | −0.1 |
| Erewash | East Midlands | £10.3m | £194 | 95.4% | −0.7 |
| Exeter | South West | £12.2m | £199 | 95.5% | −0.8 |
| Fareham | South East | £6.1m | £118 | 97.8% | −0.5 |
| Fenland | East of England | £10.4m | £215 | 95.7% | −0.5 |
| Folkestone & Hythe | South East | £10.7m | £199 | 96.4% | −0.1 |
| Forest of Dean | South West | £6.6m | £162 | 96.4% | −1.0 |
| Fylde | North West | £8.1m | £195 | 96.7% | 0.0 |
| Gateshead | North East | £28.4m | £297 | 94.0% | +0.1 |
| Gedling | East Midlands | £10.2m | £183 | 97.2% | 0.0 |
| Gloucester | South West | £13.2m | £218 | 96.5% | 0.0 |
| Gosport | South East | £17.3m | £457 | 94.3% | +0.9 |
| Gravesham | South East | £20.9m | £462 | 94.4% | −0.2 |
| Great Yarmouth | East of England | £8.4m | £167 | 95.4% | −0.5 |
| Greenwich | London | £67.4m | £536 | 93.2% | −1.3 |
| Guildford | South East | £14.7m | £235 | 97.5% | −0.3 |
| Hackney | London | £76.5m | £632 | 93.3% | +1.5 |
| Halton | North West | £23.7m | £398 | 94.2% | +0.2 |
| Hammersmith & Fulham | London | £42.2m | £441 | 92.3% | −1.4 |
| Harborough | East Midlands | £6.4m | £141 | 97.8% | −0.3 |
| Haringey | London | £72.5m | £632 | 93.2% | −0.8 |
| Harlow | East of England | £16.5m | £407 | 94.2% | −0.5 |
| Harrow | London | £32.8m | £338 | 95.6% | −0.8 |
| Hart | South East | £6.2m | £144 | 98.3% | 0.0 |
| Hartlepool | North East | £20.3m | £437 | 93.7% | +0.5 |
| Hastings | South East | £23.3m | £520 | 92.5% | −1.8 |
| Havant | South East | £14.5m | £252 | 96.4% | +0.1 |
| Havering | London | £33.2m | £305 | 95.7% | −0.3 |
| Herefordshire | West Midlands | £12.3m | £136 | 97.4% | −0.1 |
| Hertsmere | East of England | £14.1m | £306 | 96.4% | +0.5 |
| High Peak | East Midlands | £4.5m | £101 | 98.0% | −0.1 |
| Hillingdon | London | £42.4m | £358 | 96.5% | +0.2 |
| Hinckley & Bosworth | East Midlands | £8.6m | £163 | 97.5% | −0.1 |
| Horsham | South East | £6.7m | £100 | 98.2% | −0.2 |
| Hounslow | London | £41.2m | £370 | 96.1% | −1.1 |
| Huntingdonshire | East of England | £8.7m | £103 | 98.1% | 0.0 |
| Hyndburn | North West | £17.3m | £454 | 94.2% | −0.2 |
| Ipswich | East of England | £14.7m | £235 | 95.4% | −0.3 |
| Isle of Wight | South East | £27.0m | £368 | 94.6% | −0.8 |
| Isles of Scilly | South West | £288k | £247 | 95.3% | −1.2 |
| Islington | London | £46.4m | £413 | 92.9% | −0.9 |
| Kensington & Chelsea | London | £33.8m | £377 | 91.2% | −5.3 |
| Kings Lynn & West Norfolk | East of England | £10.5m | £137 | 97.1% | 0.0 |
| Kingston upon Hull | Yorkshire and the Humber | £45.0m | £358 | 91.8% | −0.5 |
| Kingston upon Thames | London | £12.5m | £178 | 98.1% | +0.2 |
| Kirklees | Yorkshire and the Humber | £41.9m | £216 | 94.2% | +0.1 |
| Knowsley | North West | £44.3m | £615 | 91.0% | +2.4 |
| Lambeth | London | £71.1m | £479 | 92.4% | −0.9 |
| Lancaster | North West | £22.6m | £336 | 93.9% | −0.2 |
| Leeds | Yorkshire and the Humber | £119.3m | £316 | 93.8% | −0.3 |
| Leicester | East Midlands | £44.5m | £306 | 92.7% | −0.7 |
| Lewes | South East | £17.0m | £358 | 97.9% | 0.0 |
| Lewisham | London | £84.8m | £631 | 91.7% | −0.1 |
| Lichfield | West Midlands | £6.2m | £125 | 98.1% | −0.2 |
| Lincoln | East Midlands | £15.0m | £313 | 94.1% | −0.7 |
| Liverpool | North West | £217.0m | £895 | 86.8% | 0.0 |
| Luton | East of England | £63.8m | £747 | 96.6% | +1.3 |
| Maidstone | South East | £22.1m | £280 | 96.2% | −0.4 |
| Maldon | East of England | £3.7m | £121 | 98.0% | +0.1 |
| Malvern Hills | West Midlands | £4.5m | £116 | 97.5% | −0.5 |
| Manchester | North West | £152.8m | £602 | 88.6% | +0.2 |
| Mansfield | East Midlands | £8.9m | £173 | 96.5% | −0.1 |
| Medway | South East | £45.4m | £372 | 93.4% | −0.5 |
| Melton | East Midlands | £3.6m | £140 | 98.0% | −0.1 |
| Merton | London | £22.2m | £253 | 95.4% | −0.7 |
| Mid Devon | South West | £6.0m | £154 | 97.3% | −0.2 |
| Mid Suffolk | East of England | £3.6m | £70 | 98.7% | +0.1 |
| Mid Sussex | South East | £9.8m | £139 | 98.0% | −0.1 |
| Middlesbrough | North East | £54.8m | £824 | 92.9% | −0.2 |
| Milton Keynes | South East | £14.4m | £113 | 96.5% | −0.3 |
| Mole Valley | South East | £6.1m | £154 | 98.0% | −0.3 |
| New Forest | South East | £6.3m | £76 | 98.5% | −0.2 |
| Newark & Sherwood | East Midlands | £9.9m | £168 | 97.1% | −0.1 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | North East | £19.6m | £139 | 96.0% | −0.8 |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | West Midlands | £11.3m | £194 | 96.8% | −0.3 |
| Newham | London | £59.5m | £448 | 92.5% | +2.6 |
| North Devon | South West | £8.9m | £180 | 96.2% | −0.4 |
| North East Derbyshire | East Midlands | £9.2m | £187 | 96.8% | 0.0 |
| North East Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | £38.3m | £504 | 92.0% | +0.1 |
| North Hertfordshire | East of England | £8.2m | £137 | 97.0% | −0.4 |
| North Kesteven | East Midlands | £7.4m | £134 | 98.0% | −0.2 |
| North Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | £24.1m | £308 | 95.0% | +0.5 |
| North Norfolk | East of England | £4.9m | £85 | 98.3% | 0.0 |
| North Northamptonshire | East Midlands | £43.3m | £267 | 94.8% | −0.1 |
| North Somerset | South West | £21.6m | £212 | 98.0% | 0.0 |
| North Tyneside | North East | £35.5m | £347 | 95.3% | +0.2 |
| North Warwickshire | West Midlands | £6.1m | £204 | 97.0% | +0.1 |
| North West Leicestershire | East Midlands | £9.7m | £196 | 97.1% | −0.1 |
| North Yorkshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | £44.6m | £145 | 96.7% | −0.9 |
| Northumberland | North East | £31.7m | £194 | 96.5% | −0.2 |
| Norwich | East of England | £18.2m | £263 | 93.8% | 0.0 |
| Nottingham | East Midlands | £61.8m | £418 | 91.7% | +0.3 |
| Nuneaton & Bedworth | West Midlands | £11.3m | £183 | 96.7% | 0.0 |
| Oadby & Wigston | East Midlands | £4.6m | £185 | 97.0% | +0.5 |
| Oldham | North West | £57.8m | £583 | 93.4% | −0.4 |
| Oxford | South East | £8.4m | £131 | 95.1% | −1.2 |
| Pendle | North West | £14.6m | £350 | 95.3% | −0.4 |
| Peterborough | East of England | £26.0m | £283 | 94.3% | −0.9 |
| Plymouth | South West | £23.8m | £193 | 95.8% | −0.6 |
| Portsmouth | South East | £40.4m | £429 | 91.9% | +1.2 |
| Preston | North West | £47.9m | £680 | 90.7% | +0.5 |
| Reading | South East | £29.9m | £386 | 94.8% | −0.7 |
| Redbridge | London | £39.5m | £365 | 96.5% | +0.5 |
| Redcar & Cleveland | North East | £45.3m | £678 | 92.4% | −0.3 |
| Redditch | West Midlands | £12.0m | £316 | 96.0% | −0.1 |
| Reigate & Banstead | South East | £10.0m | £153 | 97.9% | −0.7 |
| Ribble Valley | North West | £2.1m | £71 | 99.6% | +0.4 |
| Richmond upon Thames | London | £23.1m | £269 | 98.1% | −0.3 |
| Rochdale | North West | £28.4m | £289 | 93.8% | +0.3 |
| Rochford | East of England | £4.2m | £109 | 98.2% | −0.2 |
| Rossendale | North West | £11.8m | £357 | 95.4% | +0.1 |
| Rother | South East | £8.8m | £186 | 96.9% | −0.8 |
| Rotherham | Yorkshire and the Humber | £17.2m | £140 | 96.7% | −0.2 |
| Rugby | West Midlands | £12.1m | £232 | 96.5% | +1.0 |
| Runnymede | South East | £5.5m | £138 | 97.5% | −0.2 |
| Rushcliffe | East Midlands | £4.6m | £82 | 99.1% | 0.0 |
| Rushmoor | South East | £7.8m | £182 | 98.0% | 0.0 |
| Rutland | East Midlands | £2.6m | £140 | 97.5% | +0.1 |
| Salford | North West | £66.2m | £482 | 92.5% | +0.2 |
| Sandwell | West Midlands | £64.8m | £473 | 93.2% | −1.4 |
| Sefton | North West | £58.2m | £442 | 94.4% | −0.4 |
| Sevenoaks | South East | £8.0m | £152 | 97.8% | −0.1 |
| Sheffield | Yorkshire and the Humber | £136.0m | £517 | 92.8% | 0.0 |
| Shropshire | West Midlands | £32.2m | £211 | 97.4% | −0.3 |
| Slough | South East | £29.8m | £520 | 92.6% | −1.6 |
| Solihull | West Midlands | £17.8m | £185 | 97.1% | 0.0 |
| Somerset | South West | £64.5m | £236 | 95.5% | −1.2 |
| South Cambridgeshire | East of England | £5.5m | £73 | 98.2% | −1.0 |
| South Derbyshire | East Midlands | £7.8m | £152 | 98.2% | −0.1 |
| South Gloucestershire | South West | £17.6m | £136 | 97.2% | 0.0 |
| South Hams | South West | £7.3m | £152 | 98.5% | −0.3 |
| South Holland | East Midlands | £9.3m | £207 | 96.1% | −0.2 |
| South Kesteven | East Midlands | £10.1m | £149 | 98.3% | 0.0 |
| South Norfolk | East of England | £6.0m | £88 | 97.7% | 0.0 |
| South Oxfordshire | South East | £15.4m | £229 | 97.7% | −0.2 |
| South Ribble | North West | £11.0m | £210 | 96.3% | −0.3 |
| South Staffordshire | West Midlands | £4.8m | £97 | 97.8% | 0.0 |
| South Tyneside | North East | £32.3m | £442 | 94.2% | +0.1 |
| Southampton | South East | £32.7m | £294 | 93.3% | −0.1 |
| Southend-on-Sea | East of England | £13.8m | £166 | 96.9% | −0.3 |
| Southwark | London | £67.7m | £449 | 94.1% | +0.6 |
| Spelthorne | South East | £8.8m | £196 | 96.9% | −0.5 |
| St Albans | East of England | £9.5m | £149 | 98.8% | 0.0 |
| St Helens | North West | £37.9m | £439 | 93.8% | −0.1 |
| Stafford | West Midlands | £12.6m | £196 | 97.5% | −0.2 |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | West Midlands | £4.0m | £89 | 98.4% | 0.0 |
| Stevenage | East of England | £12.0m | £310 | 94.8% | +0.3 |
| Stockport | North West | £20.1m | £150 | 97.3% | −0.2 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | North East | £36.1m | £397 | 94.7% | −0.3 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | West Midlands | £35.2m | £293 | 95.1% | +0.3 |
| Stratford-on-Avon | West Midlands | £5.9m | £87 | 97.7% | −0.2 |
| Stroud | South West | £6.7m | £116 | 97.7% | −0.2 |
| Sunderland | North East | £44.6m | £330 | 92.4% | −0.6 |
| Surrey Heath | South East | £4.3m | £110 | 99.1% | −0.4 |
| Sutton | London | £21.0m | £243 | 97.9% | −0.3 |
| Swale | South East | £20.6m | £304 | 94.8% | −0.6 |
| Swindon | South West | £35.5m | £347 | 95.4% | −0.7 |
| Tameside | North West | £40.4m | £382 | 92.7% | −0.3 |
| Tamworth | West Midlands | £5.8m | £166 | 97.5% | −0.1 |
| Tandridge | South East | £7.5m | £195 | 97.9% | +0.2 |
| Teignbridge | South West | £8.8m | £135 | 97.8% | +0.3 |
| Telford & Wrekin | West Midlands | £14.1m | £166 | 96.9% | −0.3 |
| Tendring | East of England | £24.0m | £315 | 94.8% | 0.0 |
| Test Valley | South East | £9.6m | £162 | 98.2% | +0.1 |
| Tewkesbury | South West | £6.0m | £130 | 98.5% | 0.0 |
| Thanet | South East | £34.3m | £488 | 94.0% | −0.6 |
| Three Rivers | East of England | £8.1m | £207 | 97.4% | −0.1 |
| Thurrock | East of England | £9.2m | £131 | 97.3% | −0.2 |
| Tonbridge & Malling | South East | £10.1m | £175 | 97.5% | −0.5 |
| Torbay | South West | £23.4m | £340 | 93.7% | +0.3 |
| Torridge | South West | £7.0m | £201 | 96.3% | −0.5 |
| Tower Hamlets | London | £66.7m | £443 | 92.1% | +0.8 |
| Trafford | North West | £19.7m | £189 | 96.7% | −0.1 |
| Tunbridge Wells | South East | £9.8m | £184 | 97.4% | −0.3 |
| Uttlesford | East of England | £4.8m | £117 | 98.5% | −0.2 |
| Vale of White Horse | South East | £14.1m | £218 | 97.4% | −0.4 |
| Wakefield | Yorkshire and the Humber | £39.9m | £241 | 94.8% | −0.3 |
| Walsall | West Midlands | £56.9m | £480 | 92.4% | +0.4 |
| Waltham Forest | London | £42.0m | £378 | 94.8% | −0.3 |
| Wandsworth | London | £24.9m | £157 | 97.0% | −0.7 |
| Warrington | North West | £27.1m | £278 | 96.2% | −0.4 |
| Warwick | West Midlands | £4.5m | £64 | 98.1% | 0.0 |
| Watford | East of England | £13.4m | £309 | 95.5% | −0.4 |
| Waverley | South East | £11.7m | £202 | 97.7% | −0.1 |
| Wealden | South East | £13.1m | £174 | 97.4% | −0.2 |
| Welwyn Hatfield | East of England | £14.8m | £291 | 97.2% | +0.4 |
| West Berkshire | South East | £5.8m | £80 | 97.2% | −0.4 |
| West Devon | South West | £5.3m | £191 | 98.1% | −0.6 |
| West Lancashire | North West | £26.1m | £493 | 93.8% | 0.0 |
| West Lindsey | East Midlands | £8.7m | £186 | 97.7% | 0.0 |
| West Northamptonshire | East Midlands | £45.1m | £242 | 96.4% | +0.1 |
| West Oxfordshire | South East | £8.6m | £159 | 97.9% | −0.1 |
| West Suffolk | East of England | £13.0m | £154 | 96.7% | −0.3 |
| Westminster | London | £36.3m | £274 | 93.3% | −1.2 |
| Westmorland and Furness | North West | £19.9m | £169 | 96.5% | −0.6 |
| Wigan | North West | £41.5m | £270 | 94.9% | −0.7 |
| Wiltshire | South West | £30.9m | £132 | 97.5% | −0.1 |
| Winchester | South East | £8.0m | £135 | 98.2% | −0.2 |
| Windsor & Maidenhead | South East | £16.7m | £247 | 96.8% | −0.1 |
| Wirral | North West | £64.6m | £424 | 93.2% | −0.6 |
| Woking | South East | £8.3m | £185 | 97.9% | +0.2 |
| Wokingham | South East | £6.3m | £83 | 98.9% | −0.2 |
| Wolverhampton | West Midlands | £47.3m | £415 | 92.2% | −0.3 |
| Worcester | West Midlands | £7.8m | £163 | 96.1% | +0.1 |
| Worthing | South East | £13.3m | £255 | 96.1% | −0.4 |
| Wychavon | West Midlands | £7.5m | £120 | 97.5% | 0.0 |
| Wyre | North West | £14.0m | £248 | 96.2% | −0.2 |
| Wyre Forest | West Midlands | £7.5m | £153 | 97.2% | +0.2 |
| York | Yorkshire and the Humber | £12.5m | £133 | 97.5% | −0.1 |
Showing all 296 councils.
Sources: MHCLG, council tax collection rates 2025-26, Tables 6a and 9a1; MHCLG, Council Taxbase 2025.2 Total arrears are all arrears outstanding at 31 March 2026, including court costs. Arrears per home divides that figure by the number of dwellings on the valuation list. The collection rate is the share of the 2025-26 bill collected by 31 March 2026. The change compares this with 2024-25.
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Highest council tax arrears
| # | Council | Arrears per home | Total arrears |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | £895 | £217.0m |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | £824 | £54.8m |
| 3 | Brent | £750 | £101.8m |
| 4 | Luton | £747 | £63.8m |
| 5 | Preston | £680 | £47.9m |
| 6 | Redcar & Cleveland | £678 | £45.3m |
| 7 | Hackney | £632 | £76.5m |
| 8 | Croydon | £632 | £106.7m |
| 9 | Haringey | £632 | £72.5m |
| 10 | Lewisham | £631 | £84.8m |
| # | Council | Total arrears | Arrears per home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham | £272.7m | £583 |
| 2 | Liverpool | £217.0m | £895 |
| 3 | Manchester | £152.8m | £602 |
| 4 | Sheffield | £136.0m | £517 |
| 5 | Leeds | £119.3m | £316 |
| 6 | Croydon | £106.7m | £632 |
| 7 | Brent | £101.8m | £750 |
| 8 | Barnet | £85.3m | £530 |
| 9 | Lewisham | £84.8m | £631 |
| 10 | Hackney | £76.5m | £632 |
| # | Council | Collection rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 86.8% |
| 2 | Manchester | 88.6% |
| 3 | Blackpool | 90.0% |
| 4 | Birmingham | 90.0% |
| 5 | Preston | 90.7% |
| 6 | Knowsley | 91.0% |
| 7 | Kensington & Chelsea | 91.2% |
| 8 | Brent | 91.6% |
| 9 | Lewisham | 91.7% |
| 10 | Nottingham | 91.7% |
Sources: MHCLG.12 Arrears per home is an IVA Advice Online calculation.
Council tax arrears by region
| Region | Total arrears | Arrears per home | 2025-26 collection rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | £1,619.9m | £421 | 94.3% |
| North West | £1,334.8m | £384 | 94.2% |
| North East | £415.4m | £322 | 94.8% |
| West Midlands | £782.8m | £296 | 95.2% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £683.6m | £268 | 94.8% |
| South East | £943.1m | £226 | 96.7% |
| East Midlands | £495.5m | £221 | 96.1% |
| South West | £563.7m | £208 | 96.3% |
| East of England | £585.1m | £204 | 97.0% |
Calculated by IVA Advice Online by adding up council figures from MHCLG.12
Council tax and bailiffs
When council tax goes unpaid, councils can get a liability order from the magistrates' court and pass the debt to enforcement agents (bailiffs). Freedom of Information research by the Money Advice Trust found councils in England and Wales passed 1.72 million council tax cases to bailiffs in 2025/26, and 153 councils (48%) increased their use of bailiffs.3 If you're behind, see what to do if you can't pay council tax, how to stop council tax bailiffs and whether an IVA covers council tax.
About the data
- The figures cover the 296 billing authorities in England, the councils that send council tax bills. County councils don't collect council tax directly, so they aren't listed.
- Figures are as reported by councils to MHCLG. Arrears at 31 March 2026 are councils' best estimates and can be revised later.1
- Some councils report only the court costs added during the year, so court cost figures may be understated.1
- Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland collect council tax or rates separately and aren't included.
Common questions
How much council tax is in arrears in England?
Council tax arrears in England were £7.42 billion at 31 March 2026, an average of about £288 for every home on the valuation list. The figure includes court and administration costs. Source: MHCLG.
Which council has the highest council tax arrears?
Birmingham has the largest arrears in total (£272.7 million at 31 March 2026). Relative to the number of homes, Liverpool has the highest, at about £895 per dwelling. Source: MHCLG and IVA Advice Online calculation.
What is the council tax collection rate in England?
Councils in England collected 95.6% of the council tax due for 2025-26 by 31 March 2026, down from 95.9% in 2024-25. 214 of 296 councils had a lower collection rate than the year before.
Which council has the lowest council tax collection rate?
Liverpool had the lowest in-year collection rate in 2025-26, at 86.8%, followed by Manchester (88.6%) and Blackpool (90.0%).
Can council tax arrears be included in an IVA?
Yes. Council tax arrears you already owe can usually be included in an IVA or a debt relief order. Your current council tax bill must still be paid. See our guide on whether an IVA covers council tax.
Using these statistics
You're welcome to use the figures on this page. Please credit the original source shown for each figure, and link to this page if it helped you find them:
Source: IVA Advice Online, "Council Tax Arrears by Council", https://ivaadviceonline.com/council-tax-arrears-by-council/Download the data (CSV) – total arrears, arrears per home, collection rates and dwellings for every billing authority in England, 2025-26. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Struggling with debt? Free, impartial debt advice is available from StepChange, National Debtline and Citizens Advice. Our guides explain how IVAs, debt management plans, debt relief orders and bankruptcy work, including the downsides of each.
More debt statistics
Sources
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Collection rates for council tax and non-domestic rates in England, 2025 to 2026, Tables 6 and 9 (local authority data), published 24 June 2026, revised 31 July 2026.
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Council Taxbase 2025 in England, local authority level data (dwellings on the valuation list, Table 1.01), revised edition.
- Money Advice Trust / National Debtline, "Almost half of councils increase bailiff use as council tax arrears hit £7.4bn", published 27 August 2026 (Freedom of Information research).
This page provides general information, not advice about your circumstances.