St Helens Council Tax 2026/27
Band D council tax in St Helens is £2,403.38 for 2026/27, up 5% (£114.85) on last year. That is £11.86 above the England average of £2,391.52 — the 118th lowest of 296 councils. Most homes here are in Band A (44%), so the average bill per home is about £1,941.
Updated 2026-10-03 · Metropolitan district, North West · Official England government statistics
St Helens council tax bands 2026/27
| Band | Property value (1991) | Annual | 10 instalments | 12 instalments | Living alone (−25%) | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £40,000 | £1,602.25 | £160.23 | £133.52 | £1,201.69 | 37,900 |
| B | £40,001 to £52,000 | £1,869.30 | £186.93 | £155.77 | £1,401.97 | 19,420 |
| C | £52,001 to £68,000 | £2,136.34 | £213.63 | £178.03 | £1,602.25 | 15,910 |
| D | £68,001 to £88,000 | £2,403.38 | £240.34 | £200.28 | £1,802.54 | 7,080 |
| E | £88,001 to £120,000 | £2,937.46 | £293.75 | £244.79 | £2,203.10 | 3,880 |
| F | £120,001 to £160,000 | £3,471.55 | £347.15 | £289.30 | £2,603.66 | 1,700 |
| G | £160,001 to £320,000 | £4,005.63 | £400.56 | £333.80 | £3,004.23 | 600 |
| H | More than £320,000 | £4,806.76 | £480.68 | £400.56 | £3,605.07 | 40 |
- St Helens
- England average
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Where your St Helens council tax goes
Your bill is collected by St Helens but shared between 6 bodies. Of the £2,403.38 Band D charge, £1,975.65 (82%) stays with the council itself; the rest pays for police and crime commissioner, fire and rescue authority, mayoral combined authority, parish/town council.
| Body | Band D | Share | Band A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Council (incl. earlier adult social care) | £1,938.02 | 80.6% | £1,292.01 |
| Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase | £37.63 | 1.6% | £25.09 |
| Police and crime commissioner | £293.97 | 12.2% | £195.98 |
| Fire and rescue authority | £101.25 | 4.2% | £67.50 |
| Mayoral combined authority | £24.00 | 1.0% | £16.00 |
| Parish/town council (average) | £8.51 | 0.4% | £5.67 |
- Council (incl. earlier adult social care) £1,938 80.6%
- Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase £38 1.6%
- Police and crime commissioner £294 12.2%
- Fire and rescue authority £101 4.2%
- Mayoral combined authority £24 1.0%
- Parish/town council (average) £9 0.4%
The parish or community council figure is an average across St Helens; your own bill is higher or lower depending on which parish you live in, and is shown on your bill.
St Helens council tax history
Band D in St Helens has risen from £1,503.59 in 2016/17 to £2,403.38 in 2026/27 — 60% in 10 years. Over the last five years it rose 25.6%, the 120th biggest increase of 296 councils in England.
- St Helens Band D
| Year | Band D | Change | Band A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | £2,403.38 | +5.0% | £1,602.25 |
| 2025/26 | £2,288.53 | +5.2% | £1,525.69 |
| 2024/25 | £2,174.60 | +4.9% | £1,449.73 |
| 2023/24 | £2,073.68 | +5.2% | £1,382.45 |
| 2022/23 | £1,971.86 | +3.1% | £1,314.57 |
| 2021/22 | £1,913.06 | +5.0% | £1,275.37 |
| 2020/21 | £1,821.46 | +4.0% | £1,214.31 |
| 2019/20 | £1,752.17 | +5.2% | £1,168.11 |
| 2018/19 | £1,664.91 | +6.0% | £1,109.94 |
| 2017/18 | £1,571.26 | +4.5% | £1,047.51 |
| 2016/17 | £1,503.59 | – | £1,002.39 |
Homes by council tax band in St Helens
St Helens has 86,530 homes on the valuation list (31 March 2026). 66% 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 £1,602.25 a year (£160.23 a month over 10 instalments).
St Helens compared with North West
St Helens is the 7th cheapest of 35 councils in North West, where the average Band D across councils is £2,483.22 (£79.84 more than here). Cheapest: Wigan (£2,152.68); most expensive: Liverpool (£2,673.59).
| Council | Band D 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Halton | £2,366.61 | +5.2% |
| Ribble Valley | £2,386.50 | +3.8% |
| Bolton | £2,399.74 | +5.9% |
| St Helens | £2,403.38 | +5% |
| Chorley | £2,430.23 | +3.7% |
| South Ribble | £2,442.66 | +3.8% |
| Tameside | £2,447.21 | +5.9% |
Discounts and reductions
- Living alone: 25% off — a Band A bill in St Helens drops from £1,602.25 to £1,201.69.
- Council Tax Reduction: St Helens 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).
St Helens's 5% 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.
St Helens' local exemption for buyers of empty homes
St Helens Borough Council has its own extra rule on top of the national exceptions. If you buy an empty home, you pay no long-term empty premium for up to 12 months. If the home is still empty after that, the premium is based on the whole time it has been empty, including before you bought it. Empty homes get 100% off for the first month. The full charge then applies until the home has been empty for a year. After that the bill doubles (£4,806.76 at Band D in 2026/27), triples after five years and is four times the normal charge after ten.
Since 1 April 2025 most second homes have paid a 100% premium, so the charge is 200%.
Council Tax Reduction and care leavers in St Helens
Working-age claimants in St Helens can get up to 80% off. So can anyone getting Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA or Universal Credit, whatever their age. Other claimants above State Pension age can get up to 100%. With the full 80%, a working-age household in a Band A home (£1,602.25 in 2026/27) still pays £320.45 a year. The council has separate claim routes for people on Universal Credit and people who are not.
Care leavers aged 18 to 24 can get a discretionary discount until their 25th birthday. To qualify, you must have been in care on or after your 16th birthday and for at least 13 weeks since age 14. If you are the only adult in the home, you pay nothing: 75% discretionary discount plus the 25% single person discount. If you live with others, you get 25% off where a single person discount would have applied had you not been living there.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Band D council tax in St Helens?
£2,403.38 a year in 2026/27, or £240.34 a month over 10 instalments. This includes police, fire and average parish precepts.
What council tax band are most homes in St Helens?
Band A: 37,900 of 86,530 homes (44%). A Band A bill is £1,602.25 in 2026/27.
How much has St Helens council tax gone up?
5% this year, from £2,288.53 to £2,403.38 at Band D. Since 2016/17 it has risen 60%.
Who gets the council tax I pay in St Helens?
Council (incl. earlier adult social care) £1,938.02; Adult social care precept: 2026/27 increase £37.63; Police and crime commissioner £293.97; Fire and rescue authority £101.25; Mayoral combined authority £24.00; Parish/town council (average) £8.51 (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.
Do I pay the empty homes premium if I buy an empty house in St Helens?
Not for up to 12 months. This is a local exemption. If the home is still empty after that, the premium is based on the full time it has been empty.
What is the maximum Council Tax Reduction in St Helens?
80% for working-age claimants and for anyone on Income Support, income-based JSA, income-related ESA or Universal Credit. Up to 100% for other pension-age claimants.
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)
- St Helens Borough Council – Empty properties and second homes
- St Helens Borough Council – Council Tax Reduction
- St Helens Borough Council – Care leavers