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Cumberland Council’s guide to Council Tax 2026 to 2027 - including explanatory notes and financial information
This guide provides important information about your Council Tax bill, including how your money is spent, what you will pay in the coming year, and the different ways you can make payments. It also explains the criteria for Council Tax discounts and exemptions - such as reductions for disabled residents -so you can ensure you are paying the correct amount. In addition, the guide outlines what to do if you believe your bill is incorrect and how the Council Tax you pay helps fund the essential services delivered by Cumberland Council.
Your bill explained
Your Council Tax bill contributes to the cost of services delivered by Cumberland Council, the Cumbria Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria, and, where applicable, local town and parish councils.
Cumberland Council is the billing authority and is responsible for issuing bills and collecting Council Tax on behalf of all organisations that receive a share of the total amount.
The Cumberland Council element of your bill is made up of two parts:
- General / Core Council Tax – this helps fund a wide range of essential local services that support communities across Cumberland, including waste and recycling, highways and street maintenance, libraries, public health, housing and homelessness support, environmental health, planning, and community safety
- Adult Social Care Precept – this is an additional charge that councils can raise specifically to help meet the growing cost of adult social care for older people and adults with additional needs
The rest of your Council Tax is collected on behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria and the Cumbria Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority, as well as for local precepting authorities such as Town and Parish Councils, where applicable.
The amount of Council Tax you pay depends on:
- the value of your property based on values on 1 April 1991
- your personal circumstances
Every home is placed into one of the bands below. This is calculated by the Valuation Office Agency and is based on what your property was worth on 1 April, 1991, not what it would be worth today.
A typical house in the UK is one that was valued on 1 April 1991, at between £68,001 and £88,000 and so is in Council Tax band D. Houses with lower values are placed in bands A-C and pay less tax, while those with higher values are placed in bands E-H and pay more tax.
| Band | Valuation Rates |
|---|---|
| A | Up to and including £40,000 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 |
| H | More than £320,000 |
| Band | Cumberland Council (£) | Cumbria Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority (£) | Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria (£) | Total (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proportion of Council Tax bill | 81.92% | 4.22% | 13.86% | 100.00% |
| Increase by each authority | 4.99% | 5.04% | 4.61% | 4.90% |
| Band A (up to £40,000) | 1,335.09 | 68.76 | 225.96 | 1,629.81 |
| Band B (£40,001 to £52,000) | 1,557.61 | 80.22 | 263.62 | 1,901.45 |
| Band C (£52,001 to £68,000) | 1,780.12 | 91.68 | 301.28 | 2,173.08 |
| Band D (£68,001 to £88,000) | 2,002.64 | 103.14 | 338.94 | 2,444.72 |
| Band E (£88,001 to £120,000) | 2,447.67 | 126.06 | 414.26 | 2,987.99 |
| Band F (£120,001 to £160,000) | 2,892.70 | 148.98 | 489.58 | 3,531.26 |
| Band G (£160,001 to £320,000) | 3,337.73 | 171.90 | 564.90 | 4,074.53 |
| Band H (£320,001 and over) | 4,005.28 | 206.28 | 677.88 | 4,889.44 |
Some areas have a separate local precept set by a parish or town council. This varies by location, and a table showing the applicable local precepts is included in this document.