Cheshire West and Chester Council Tax 2026/27
Band D council tax in Cheshire West and Chester is £2,517.33 for 2026/27, up 5.2% (£125.30) on last year. That is £125.81 above the England average of £2,391.52 — the 215th lowest of 296 councils. Most homes here are in Band B (23%), so the average bill per home is about £2,375.
Updated 2026-10-03 · Unitary authority, North West · Official England government statistics
Cheshire West and Chester council tax bands 2026/27
| Band | Property value (1991) | Annual | 10 instalments | 12 instalments | Living alone (−25%) | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | £1,678.22 | £167.82 | £139.85 | £1,258.67 | 35,440 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £1,957.92 | £195.79 | £163.16 | £1,468.44 | 39,380 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £2,237.63 | £223.76 | £186.47 | £1,678.22 | 33,220 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,517.33 | £251.73 | £209.78 | £1,888.00 | 22,680 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £3,076.74 | £307.67 | £256.39 | £2,307.55 | 17,830 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,636.14 | £363.61 | £303.01 | £2,727.11 | 10,620 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £4,195.55 | £419.56 | £349.63 | £3,146.66 | 8,140 |
| H | More than £320,000 | £5,034.66 | £503.47 | £419.56 | £3,776.00 | 640 |
- Cheshire West and Chester
- England average
Your result is ready
Where your Cheshire West and Chester council tax goes
Your bill is collected by Cheshire West and Chester but shared between 5 bodies. Of the £2,517.33 Band D charge, £2,076.79 (82%) stays with the council itself; the rest pays for police and crime commissioner, fire and rescue authority, parish/town council.
| Body | Band D | Share | Band B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Council (incl. earlier adult social care) | £2,037.23 | 80.9% | £1,584.51 |
| Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase | £39.56 | 1.6% | £30.77 |
| Police and crime commissioner | £295.44 | 11.7% | £229.79 |
| Fire and rescue authority | £100.09 | 4.0% | £77.85 |
| Parish/town council (average) | £45.01 | 1.8% | £35.01 |
- Council (incl. earlier adult social care) £2,037 80.9%
- Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase £40 1.6%
- Police and crime commissioner £295 11.7%
- Fire and rescue authority £100 4.0%
- Parish/town council (average) £45 1.8%
The parish or community council figure is an average across Cheshire West and Chester; your own bill is higher or lower depending on which parish you live in, and is shown on your bill.
Cheshire West and Chester council tax history
Band D in Cheshire West and Chester has risen from £1,583.78 in 2016/17 to £2,517.33 in 2026/27 — 59% in 10 years. Over the last five years it rose 26.0%, the 100th biggest increase of 296 councils in England.
- Cheshire West and Chester Band D
| Year | Band D | Change | Band B |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | £2,517.33 | +5.2% | £1,957.92 |
| 2025/26 | £2,392.03 | +5.0% | £1,860.47 |
| 2024/25 | £2,277.08 | +5.0% | £1,771.06 |
| 2023/24 | £2,169.45 | +5.3% | £1,687.35 |
| 2022/23 | £2,061.04 | +3.1% | £1,603.03 |
| 2021/22 | £1,998.41 | +5.0% | £1,554.32 |
| 2020/21 | £1,902.42 | +4.0% | £1,479.66 |
| 2019/20 | £1,829.19 | +5.8% | £1,422.70 |
| 2018/19 | £1,729.22 | +5.1% | £1,344.95 |
| 2017/18 | £1,644.71 | +3.8% | £1,279.22 |
| 2016/17 | £1,583.78 | – | £1,231.83 |
Homes by council tax band in Cheshire West and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester has 167,950 homes on the valuation list (31 March 2026). 45% are in Bands A or B. The most common band is B, which costs £1,957.92 a year (£195.79 a month over 10 instalments).
Cheshire West and Chester compared with North West
Cheshire West and Chester is the 24th cheapest of 35 councils in North West, where the average Band D across councils is £2,483.22 (£34.11 less than here). Cheapest: Wigan (£2,152.68); most expensive: Liverpool (£2,673.59).
| Council | Band D 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Westmorland and Furness | £2,507.99 | +5% |
| Cumberland | £2,511.32 | +4.9% |
| Blackpool | £2,513.22 | +5.1% |
| Cheshire West and Chester | £2,517.33 | +5.2% |
| Rossendale | £2,519.97 | +3.9% |
| Burnley | £2,549.42 | +3.8% |
| Bury | £2,555.15 | +5.8% |
Discounts and reductions
- Living alone: 25% off — a Band B bill in Cheshire West and Chester drops from £1,957.92 to £1,468.44.
- Council Tax Reduction: Cheshire West and Chester runs its own scheme for people on low incomes or benefits — rules differ from council to council in England.
- Disregards and exemptions: full-time students, student halls, some carers and people with a severe mental impairment are not counted; all-student homes pay nothing.
- Disabled Band Reduction: if your home has been adapted for a disabled person you may be billed one band lower (Band A homes get a reduction of 1/9 of Band D).
Cheshire West and Chester's 5.2% rise compares with an England average of 4.9%. Councils responsible for social care can raise their own share by up to 4.99% without a referendum, districts by under 3% or £5, and police and fire bodies by fixed cash amounts — so the area total can move by a different percentage.
What Cheshire West and Chester decided for 2026/27
Cheshire West and Chester Council raised its own Band D charge by 4.99%, to £2,076.79, which it describes as an extra £1.90 a week (from £38.04 to £39.94). Add the Cheshire police and fire precepts and the Band D total before parish charges is £2,472.32. The £2,517.33 figure above also includes the average parish precept. The council says about £52 of every £100 it spends from council tax goes on adult social care, and about £23 on children's social care.
Council Tax Reduction: 75% for most working-age claimants
For working-age claimants who are not in a protected group, Cheshire West and Chester works out Council Tax Reduction on 75% of the bill, and on no more than a Band D charge. So even with no income you pay at least a quarter. On a Band B home at the area average (£1,957.92), that is at least £489.48 a year. Protected groups (households getting a severe or enhanced disability premium, disabled child premium or carer premium, or a war disablement or war widow's pension) are assessed on 100% of the bill. Pension-age claimants use the national scheme.
The working-age scheme changed on 1 April 2025, with transitional help for at least two years for anyone who lost out:
- The savings limit is now £6,000 for everyone of working age, including protected groups, which used to have £16,000. The Band D cap now applies to protected groups too.
- Deductions for other adults in the home are £5 a week, or £10 if they work over 16 hours or earn over £266 a week.
- Awards below £2 a week are no longer paid. Everyone in work gets a flat £30 a week earnings disregard.
- Claims can be backdated up to three months with good cause. Universal Credit data from DWP now triggers a claim automatically. Your award is only recalculated if your Universal Credit changes by at least £50 a week.
Empty homes, second homes and paying
Since 1 April 2025 every second home (furnished, with no resident) pays a 100% premium on top of the normal charge. That includes furnished homes left after a resident moves out or dies. A Band D second home at the area average pays £5,034.66. The same date ended the 25% discount for uninhabitable homes. Unfurnished homes empty for over 12 months pay double, between 5 and 10 years three times, and over 10 years four times.
Instalments are due on the 2nd of each month. You can only choose a different date if you pay by direct debit.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Band D council tax in Cheshire West and Chester?
£2,517.33 a year in 2026/27, or £251.73 a month over 10 instalments. This includes police, fire and average parish precepts.
What council tax band are most homes in Cheshire West and Chester?
Band B: 39,380 of 167,950 homes (23%). A Band B bill is £1,957.92 in 2026/27.
How much has Cheshire West and Chester council tax gone up?
5.2% this year, from £2,392.03 to £2,517.33 at Band D. Since 2016/17 it has risen 59%.
Who gets the council tax I pay in Cheshire West and Chester?
Council (incl. earlier adult social care) £2,037.23; Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase £39.56; Police and crime commissioner £295.44; Fire and rescue authority £100.09; Parish/town council (average) £45.01 (Band D, 2026/27).
How do I find my council tax band?
Search your postcode on GOV.UK “Check your Council Tax band”, run by the Valuation Office Agency. You can challenge your band if you think it is wrong.
What is the maximum Council Tax Reduction in Cheshire West and Chester?
75% of the bill for most working-age claimants, capped at a Band D charge. Protected groups and pension-age claimants can get up to 100%.
When is council tax due in Cheshire West and Chester?
On the 2nd of each month. Direct debit payers can ask for a different date.
Does Cheshire West and Chester give a discount for an uninhabitable home?
No. The 25% uninhabitable property discount was withdrawn from 1 April 2025.
Sources
Figures are taken from official government publications and were last reviewed on 2026-10-03.
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels 2026-27, Tables 1 to 9 (ODS)
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England 2026 to 2027, Table 10 local authority level data
- MHCLG: Council Tax levels 2025-26 (revised), Table 10 Local Authority Level Data (ODS), used for England % change
- VOA / GOV.UK: Understand how Council Tax bands are assessed
- GOV.UK: Council Tax – who has to pay (single person discount)
- MHCLG: Band D Council Tax figures 1993 onwards, Table 5 area Band D (live table, 2026-27 revised)
- VOA: Council Tax stock of properties 2026, Table CTSOP1.0 (properties by band at 31 March 2026, England and Wales)
- Cheshire West and Chester Council – Your Council Tax explained 2026/27
- Cheshire West and Chester Council – Council Tax Reduction: working age claimants
- Cheshire West and Chester Council – Changes to the Council Tax Reduction scheme
- Cheshire West and Chester Council – Second home premium
- Cheshire West and Chester Council – Council Tax and empty properties (uninhabitable discount withdrawn)
- Cheshire West and Chester Council – Protected working age groups
- Cheshire West and Chester Council – Empty premium
- Cheshire West and Chester Council – Pay your Council Tax