Residents across Greater Manchester are bracing for higher council tax bills from April but what you pay, and what you get for it, will vary dramatically depending on where you live.
While most town halls are pushing through the maximum permitted rise, some are still cutting services to plug budget gaps, while others are using government cash or reserves to soften the blow.
Every Greater Manchester council is planning to increase council tax in 2026/27
Every Greater Manchester council is planning to increase council tax in 2026/27, with most opting for the 4.99% ceiling set by ministers.
Trafford has again been allowed to go significantly higher because of its severe financial problems, leaving residents there facing the steepest bills in the city region.
On top of local bills, the mayoral precept is rising by about 20%, adding £25 to a typical band D bill to fund cheaper buses and transport improvements.
For many households, this means paying more for broadly similar, or in some cases reduced, services, as councils battle rising demand in social care, inflation and years of squeezed funding.
What the mayoral rise pays for
Greater Manchester’s mayoral budget has already been signed off, with leaders backing a 19.4% increase in the mayoral general precept. This will see a band D property pay £153.95 next year, up from £128.95 – roughly £25 more.
Andy Burnham argues the hike will “significantly enhance” residents’ lives by:
- Keeping the £2 bus fare cap in place until the end of 2026.
- Lifting the 9.30am rule so older and disabled pass holders can travel free all day on Bee Network buses.
- Funding free bus travel for homeless children and further network improvements and safety measures.
How much each borough is charging council tax in Greater Manchester
Bolton
Bolton is proposing a 4.99% council tax rise for 2026/27. The council is drawing £10.6m from its reserves to balance the books this year after previously agreeing £7.8m of savings over two years and planning £30m more in savings over the following three years.
No additional service cuts are being introduced in this year’s budget, helped by a one‑off £1.35m refund from Greater Manchester Waste. Town hall reports still warn of “significant pressures” ahead, with further efficiencies needed in future years.
Bury
Bury is also planning the maximum 4.99% council tax rise. The council faces £9.5m of cuts as it tries to plug a £14m budget gap, with around £3m linked to “workforce transformation” that will see more AI tools used to reduce admin work and gradually phase out some roles.
Children’s social care is set to save £1m by “stepping down” youngsters from private children’s homes into cheaper residential options such as foster care. Finance bosses say not taking the full tax rise is “unfeasible” given how government funding is allocated.
Manchester
Manchester is raising council tax by 4.99% even as its overall budget passes £1bn for the first time. A change to government funding formulas has handed the city a 24 per cent boost, delivering an extra £94m for the coming year.
Councillors say that money will go into “bread‑and‑butter” services, which include street cleaning, tackling fly‑tipping, parks and pavements, as well as opening eight city libraries on Sundays and maintaining a £15m “renewal fund” to improve infrastructure in every ward. Finance chief Rabnawaz Akbar argues failing to take the 4.99% rise would mean “you lose it forever”, pointing to councils elsewhere that later needed exceptional financial support.
Oldham
Oldham is applying the full 4.99% council tax rise while also hiking almost 900 fees and charges by an average of 10 per cent. The increases will hit a wide range of services, including bin replacements, cemetery fees, marriages, car parks and pest control.
On top of that, the council is cutting £8m from its spending, including up to 13 managerial posts worth around £1.3m and a £500,000 reduction in funding for Mahdlo, a local youth centre. The authority says historically low fees and charges are no longer sustainable given a £20m budget gap.
Rochdale
Rochdale is technically putting council tax up by 4.99%, but using reserves to cushion the blow. Every household will get a two per cent discount on the increase, worth an average of £41 over the year, so the real‑terms rise is 2.99%.
The scheme will cost around £3m, funded from the council’s own coffers, but no service cuts are planned in the budget. In fact, finance bosses say they have identified enough savings to return £3m to reserves, which had been run down in previous years.
Salford
Salford’s budget raises council tax by 4.99%, adding £102 a year to a band D bill. Leaders describe it as a “no cuts” budget, although more than £8m in savings are still being spread across adult social care, health and other departments.
To balance the books, the council will draw more than £26m from its reserves this year. At the same time, it has set a £91m capital budget, with most of that earmarked for regeneration projects across the city.
Stockport
Stockport is planning a 4.99% council tax rise alongside £20m in savings. Proposals include increasing town‑centre parking charges to save £500,000 and potential job cuts within the council workforce.
Lib Dem leader Mark Roberts has attacked the national “fair funding” system, saying Stockport’s plea for more support has “landed on deaf ears” and left the borough facing a £75m funding gap over the next five years.
Tameside
Tameside is proposing a 4.99% council tax increase, which leaders say is necessary to protect essential services. Budget papers state there will be no cuts to key frontline provision, but £8.973m of savings will still be required through efficiencies and lower departmental costs.
Trafford
Trafford stands out as the only Greater Manchester council taking a 7.49% council tax rise for the second year in a row, after securing special permission from the government. A band D bill will jump from £1,722 to £1,851, generating around £3.5m in extra income.
Even with that and a £12.6m government loan, the council is still battling a £19m shortfall and warns of a £27m budget gap by 2028/29. “Substantial savings” are on the way, with options including expanding local placements for looked‑after children to cut expensive out‑of‑borough costs and selling assets such as the Our Place care home in Sale and other council‑owned sites.
Wigan
Wigan’s budget, due to be approved in early March, recommends a 4.99% council tax rise. To balance the 2026/27 books, the council is planning more than £14m of savings, including £2m from introducing AI and £5m from broader “efficiencies”.
The authority says any use of reserves next year will be limited to short‑term, one‑off measures, with no reliance on them for day‑to‑day spending. Instead, it is banking on digital change and service redesign to close the gap.