Sheffield council tax bills to rise by 4.99%

Council tax in Sheffield will rise by nearly 5% as the authority said it was experiencing pressures due to the cost of social care and looking after vulnerable people.

Sheffield City Council has no one party in overall control but Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party all said the cost of living had hit people hard.

Almost two-thirds of the council's budget is spent on adult and children's social care, while the cost of special educational needs transport and homeless support also stretched finances, a spokesperson said.

The increase will raise £18.2m in 2026/27 in addition to a three-year funding settlement from the government.

Councillor Zahira Naz, chair of the finance committee, said the government settlement would bring in almost £30m of extra money to help manage the budget.

"Setting a balanced budget is a moral responsibility," she said.

"These are not simply pressures on a spreadsheet, they represent children who need support, families who need stability and older residents who deserve dignity in care.

"This year's local government settlement begins to turn the tide and recognises cities like Sheffield require fair investment.

"We finally have the stability of a multi-year settlement giving us certainty to plan, to invest and to reform services for the long term."

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said "the national economic picture was dire" and people were struggling with tax burdens, unemployment and rising energy prices.

Group leader Martin Smith said: "Thankfully we are not burning through reserves but there is still a lot to do.

"The latest local government settlement has given us some breathing space but it won't last forever. We have to get council spending under control."

The Green Party said for many people living in the city, the cost of living crisis was "a fact of everyday life".

Group leader Angela Argenzio said: "The background to this budget is one of continuing austerity and huge levels of inequality.

"Demand for our services and inflationary pressures rise

"We welcome government money for the crisis and resilience fund, but this can only ever be a sticking plaster that fails to address the poverty and inequality that is endemic in our society."

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