Council tax rises in Wales - see how your area compares
Getty ImagesCouncil tax bills in Wales will see an average rise of 4.9% from April after councils approved their budgets for the next financial year.
The highest increases are in Conwy and Vale of Glamorgan at 6.5% with the lowest at 3.5% in Neath Port Talbot.
Council tax covers a variety of services, from rubbish collections to providing social care for vulnerable adults and children, and it is one of the biggest bills households face.
The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said: "All councils will consider council tax decisions in line with local circumstances and priorities", adding that councils had a statutory duty to present balanced budgets.
Jodie Davies, from Tonyrefail, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, owes £1,200 in arrears on her council tax and said councils should contact people earlier if they have missed a payment.
Davies, works with the Taff Ely Foodbank and runs a support group for families struggling with addiction, health and cost of living pressures.
She missed council payments due to a misunderstanding about which bills her benefits covered.
Davies, 44, said some letters from the council had arrived late because of delayed deliveries and she ended up facing threats of court action and bailiffs.
"I ended up being in a lot of trouble Christmas time, money-wise," she said.
"I didn't think I was going to be able to get stuff for my kids for Christmas."
She said panic made her shut down.
"I stopped answering the phone, I stopped reading letters."
It was mid-January when she thought, 'I've got to do something about this'.
"Now I've got a payment plan I'm not scared of having to pay it all in one go."
She said the council was "helpful" when she got in touch, but "if they'd been there in the beginning, if they'd gone 'oh, hang on, this month hasn't been paid', and made a phone call, the problem could have been addressed sooner and been less stressful".
Rhondda Cynon Taf council said it was "actively looking at a range of ways to engage earlier with residents who fall behind with payments" including an informal text messaging service.
It added "court proceedings are always a last resort" but even at that stage "provided residents make early contact with us, then affordable payment plans can be agreed as well as checking whether there is entitlement to additional help".
Missing just one monthly council tax payment can make you liable to settle the entire year's bill.
From April the grace period for settling the bill will be extended from two weeks to two months after the Welsh government introduced rule changes, which also require councils to intervene earlier with offers of support.
Poorer residents may be eligible for help from the Council Tax Reduction Scheme which in March 2025 reduced bills for 256,489 households.
What if I can't pay my council tax?
- Do not ignore letters and contact your local authority immediately if you can't pay so that you can discuss payment plans
- Council tax arrears are often described as a "priority debt" because they can escalate quickly
- If you are on a low income or receiving certain benefits, you may be eligible for help from the Council Tax Reduction Scheme via your local council
- You can seek free help and advice from Advicelink Cymru
Steffan Evans, from the Bevan Foundation, which researches issues around poverty in Wales, said council tax was "fundamentally unfair".
"It doesn't really take into account how well off people are, and therefore it hits those who are poorer harder, than those who are wealthier.
"I think the long-term aim has to be to have something that's a bit more proportional in this place, that takes into account local incomes and property prices," he said.
A spokesperson for the WLGA said: "Although local government warmly welcomed a much-improved settlement from Welsh government this year, local services still face enormous budget pressures and councils will need to take difficult decisions to raise revenue, find any savings and manage budgets responsibly."
Steffan EvansWelsh Labour said thanks to its reforms "Wales already has the fairest council tax system in the UK" and from April there would be "more time for households to seek help".
It said "around one in five households receive support to pay their bills" and its manifesto "will set out our intention to make council tax even fairer".
Plaid Cymru said it acted in recent budget negotiations with the Welsh government to "prevent unaffordable council tax rises" in 2026-27 by securing a bigger uplift for local authorities' budgets.
It added that if elected it "would implement policies that aim to ensure people have more money in their pockets" including by working with local authorities on future financial reforms.
Reform said it would cap council tax increases at 4.99%, requiring a council to hold a referendum for a bigger increase, adding that if councils "treat a 4.99% rise as a target" it would "not be afraid to lower that further because keeping bills low for people in a cost of living crisis is very important to people across Wales".
The Welsh Conservatives said they would "cap council tax increases at 5% and require local referendums for any larger rises" giving residents "the power to approve or block excessive council tax rises".
The Green Party said: "Council tax is unfair and for many people is one of their largest monthly bills," adding it would "replace it with a fairer land value tax so most people pay less, while the wealthiest property owners contribute more".
The Welsh Liberal Democrats said: "Councils are increasingly being forced to spend huge portions of their budgets on social care" and their plans to reform social care "would take pressure off local authority finances".
