Oldham Council Tax 2026/27
Band D council tax in Oldham is £2,602.23 for 2026/27, up 5.8% (£142.83) on last year. That is £210.71 above the England average of £2,391.52 — the 265th lowest of 296 councils. Most homes here are in Band A (51%), so the average bill per home is about £2,062.
Updated 2026-10-03 · Metropolitan district, North West · Official England government statistics
Oldham council tax bands 2026/27
| Band | Property value (1991) | Annual | 10 instalments | 12 instalments | Living alone (−25%) | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | £1,734.82 | £173.48 | £144.57 | £1,301.12 | 51,240 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £2,023.96 | £202.40 | £168.66 | £1,517.97 | 17,850 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £2,313.09 | £231.31 | £192.76 | £1,734.82 | 16,840 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,602.23 | £260.22 | £216.85 | £1,951.67 | 7,360 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £3,180.50 | £318.05 | £265.04 | £2,385.38 | 3,600 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,758.78 | £375.88 | £313.23 | £2,819.08 | 1,650 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £4,337.05 | £433.71 | £361.42 | £3,252.79 | 940 |
| H | More than £320,000 | £5,204.46 | £520.45 | £433.71 | £3,903.35 | 80 |
- Oldham
- England average
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Where your Oldham council tax goes
Your bill is collected by Oldham but shared between 5 bodies. Of the £2,602.23 Band D charge, £2,156.22 (83%) stays with the council itself; the rest pays for police and crime commissioner, mayoral combined authority, parish/town council.
| Body | Band D | Share | Band A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Council (incl. earlier adult social care) | £2,115.15 | 81.3% | £1,410.10 |
| Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase | £41.07 | 1.6% | £27.38 |
| Police and crime commissioner | £285.30 | 11.0% | £190.20 |
| Mayoral combined authority | £153.95 | 5.9% | £102.63 |
| Parish/town council (average) | £6.76 | 0.3% | £4.51 |
- Council (incl. earlier adult social care) £2,115 81.3%
- Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase £41 1.6%
- Police and crime commissioner £285 11.0%
- Mayoral combined authority £154 5.9%
- Parish/town council (average) £7 0.3%
The parish or community council figure is an average across Oldham; your own bill is higher or lower depending on which parish you live in, and is shown on your bill.
Oldham council tax history
Band D in Oldham has risen from £1,665.07 in 2016/17 to £2,602.23 in 2026/27 — 56% in 10 years. Over the last five years it rose 27.7%, the 47th biggest increase of 296 councils in England.
- Oldham Band D
| Year | Band D | Change | Band A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | £2,602.23 | +5.8% | £1,734.82 |
| 2025/26 | £2,459.40 | +5.5% | £1,639.60 |
| 2024/25 | £2,331.35 | +5.0% | £1,554.23 |
| 2023/24 | £2,220.03 | +4.3% | £1,480.02 |
| 2022/23 | £2,128.40 | +4.5% | £1,418.93 |
| 2021/22 | £2,037.43 | +3.0% | £1,358.29 |
| 2020/21 | £1,977.21 | +3.8% | £1,318.14 |
| 2019/20 | £1,904.51 | +5.3% | £1,269.67 |
| 2018/19 | £1,809.03 | +4.6% | £1,206.02 |
| 2017/18 | £1,729.05 | +3.8% | £1,152.70 |
| 2016/17 | £1,665.07 | – | £1,110.05 |
Homes by council tax band in Oldham
Oldham has 99,560 homes on the valuation list (31 March 2026). 69% are in Bands A or B, so for most households the real bill is well below the Band D figure. The most common band is A, which costs £1,734.82 a year (£173.48 a month over 10 instalments).
Oldham compared with North West
Oldham is the 32nd cheapest of 35 councils in North West, where the average Band D across councils is £2,483.22 (£119.01 less than here). Cheapest: Wigan (£2,152.68); most expensive: Liverpool (£2,673.59).
| Council | Band D 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Sefton | £2,583.22 | +5% |
| Salford | £2,594.45 | +5.8% |
| Rochdale | £2,600.83 | +5.8% |
| Oldham | £2,602.23 | +5.8% |
| Stockport | £2,618.90 | +5.8% |
| Pendle | £2,640.18 | +4.1% |
| Liverpool | £2,673.59 | +5% |
Discounts and reductions
- Living alone: 25% off — a Band A bill in Oldham drops from £1,734.82 to £1,301.12.
- Council Tax Reduction: Oldham 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).
Oldham's 5.8% 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.
How Oldham’s 2026/27 rise breaks down
Oldham Council raised its own share by 4.99%, the most allowed without a referendum. That was 2.99% for general services and 2% for the adult social care precept. The whole Band D bill rose faster, by 5.81%, because the Greater Manchester Mayor’s precepts went up by a bigger percentage: the general precept, which includes fire services, rose by £25 (19.39%) and the police and crime precept by £15 (5.55%). The council’s statement adds that its referendum limit for 2026/27 was 5% (2% for adult social care and 3% for general purposes), so 4.99% did not trigger a vote. The Band D figures below are from that statement and exclude parish precepts.
| Element | Band D 2025/26 | Band D 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oldham Council services | £1,723.09 | £1,784.50 | +£61.41 (2.99%) |
| Adult social care precept | £330.65 | £371.72 | +£41.07 |
| Mayoral police and crime precept | £270.30 | £285.30 | +£15.00 (5.55%) |
| Mayoral general precept (incl. fire) | £128.95 | £153.95 | +£25.00 (19.39%) |
| Total (no parish) | £2,452.99 | £2,595.47 | +£142.48 (5.81%) |
Saddleworth and Shaw & Crompton pay extra
Only two parts of the borough have a local council on top: Saddleworth Parish Council and Shaw and Crompton Town Council. Their precepts appear only on bills in those areas. That is why the borough-wide average parish figure is just £6.76. At Band D, Saddleworth Parish Council adds £29.78 in 2026/27 (up 5.01%), while Shaw and Crompton Town Council adds £18.48, which is 45p less than the year before.
Council Tax Reduction is capped at 85% of a Band A bill
Under the council’s published 2025-26 scheme document, working-age support is worked out on the lower of your own band or Band A, and then cut by 15%. So the most a working-age claimant can get is 85% of a Band A bill. With the 2026/27 Band A charge of about £1,730.31 (excluding parish), that is about £1,470.77. A claimant on full support in a Band A home pays about £259.55 a year. In a Band C home they pay about £836.32, because everything above the Band A level is theirs to pay.
Savings over £16,000 mean you cannot get support. Savings between £6,000 and £16,000 are treated as income of £1 a week for every £250.
Empty homes, second homes and paying
- There is no discount for empty, unfurnished homes. The bill doubles after 12 months, triples after five years and quadruples after ten.
- Second homes have paid a 100% premium since 1 April 2025. A Band B second home costs £4,047.91 in 2026/27.
- Direct Debit dates: the 1st, 8th, 15th or 24th of the month.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Band D council tax in Oldham?
£2,602.23 a year in 2026/27, or £260.22 a month over 10 instalments. This includes police, fire and average parish precepts.
What council tax band are most homes in Oldham?
Band A: 51,240 of 99,560 homes (51%). A Band A bill is £1,734.82 in 2026/27.
How much has Oldham council tax gone up?
5.8% this year, from £2,459.40 to £2,602.23 at Band D. Since 2016/17 it has risen 56%.
Who gets the council tax I pay in Oldham?
Council (incl. earlier adult social care) £2,115.15; Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase £41.07; Police and crime commissioner £285.30; Mayoral combined authority £153.95; Parish/town council (average) £6.76 (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.
Why did Oldham council tax go up by more than 4.99%?
Oldham Council’s own share rose 4.99%. The Greater Manchester Mayor raised the general precept, which includes fire, by £25 and the police precept by £15 at Band D, so the total bill rose by more.
How much council tax reduction can I get in Oldham?
Working-age claimants can get up to 85% of a Band A bill, whatever band they live in. Pension-age claimants can get up to 100% under the national scheme.
What Direct Debit dates does Oldham offer?
The 1st, 8th, 15th or 24th of the month.
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)
- Oldham Council – Council tax levels and budget information 2026/27
- Oldham Council – What does council tax pay for?
- Oldham Council – Council Tax Reduction Scheme (PDF)
- Oldham Council – Empty properties and second homes
- Oldham Council – Direct Debit