Maximum council tax rise expected for fourth year in a row in Wakefield
The local authority is facing a £23.4m budget shortfall
Last updated 6th Jan 2026
Council tax bills in Wakefield look set to rise by a maximum of 4.99% under budget proposals for the next financial year.
The increase is part of measures designed to plug an expected £23.4m budget shortfall for Wakefield Council during 2026/27.
The hike, which includes an addition of 2% to support social care costs, equates to an annual increase of £89.90 (£1.72 per week) for households in Band D.
Band A households would see bills rise £59.93 a year (£1.15 per week) if the proposals are approved in March.
The move, outlined in a report to cabinet members, is expected to raise £9.7m of additional income for the Labour-run authority.
The spending plan also includes making £11.5m of “service efficiencies and savings” across a number of departments.
The report said the financial climate for local authorities remained “extremely challenging.”
According to the document, 50 councils out of 317 nationally had required emergency financial support (EFS) from the government in the past two years, with the number expected to rise to around 100.
It added: “Within the West Yorkshire region, both Leeds and Bradford are in receipt of EFS.
“This makes securing and maintaining a robust financial position critical to enabling the council to develop and implement budget plans in a managed way that safeguards the delivery of our priority services and ensures long-term sustainability.”
Recommendations include investing a total of £20.9m in frontline services for vulnerable residents.
It proposes spending an additional £9m on adult social care and £5m on children and young people after the both services continued to experience “record levels” of demand.
Cabinet members are expected to approve the recommendations at a meeting on January 13 before they are put out to a public consultation.
Final proposals will be reported to cabinet in February after feedback has been considered.
The budget must then be approved at a full council meeting for formal approval on March 2.
If approved, it would be the fourth consecutive year that council tax across the district has risen by the maximum permitted amount.
Last year, councillors voted in favour of a maximum rise as part of efforts to plug a £39.9m budget gap.
The spending plans also included cutting more 200 jobs in order to balance the books by making savings of £29m.
The amount paid by Band D householders would likely remain the lowest out of the five West Yorkshire local areas if another rise is agreed.