UK & Politics · London & regions

Wandsworth council tax to rise 94% from April 2027: a Band D bill goes from £1,020 to £1,978

Q: How much will council tax rise in Wandsworth?

The council plans to add £958 a year to a Band D bill — about 94%, taking it from £1,020 to £1,978. Wandsworth publishes these figures itself, on a dedicated page about the increase, and has written to residents. Other bands move in proportion: Band A pays two thirds of Band D, Band H pays double. The small discrepancy in the figures is explainable: the council counts from £1,020, while the government's own statistics (MHCLG) put the borough at £1,028 for 2026-27, including the Greater London Authority precept of £511.

Q: Which other London boroughs could raise council tax without a cap?

The same five London authorities: Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, the City of London and Wandsworth. Removing the cap permits a rise, it does not require one — Westminster has said it will not use the power. But each council decides for itself, and decides again every year, so residents of those five boroughs should read their borough's budget papers in February rather than find out from the bill in April.

Q: What does the council say is behind the rise?

A cut in government funding. Wandsworth says it has lost 40% of its funding — £84 million a year — and calls it the worst cash settlement in the country. Peter Graham, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, puts it this way: council tax will have to rise unless the government thinks again. That is the council's position rather than a neutral assessment: the Fair Funding reform redistributes money towards poorer areas, and it is the calculation that Wandsworth disputes.

Q: How much is £1,978 a year, really?

Even after almost doubling, Wandsworth stays below the English average: £1,978 against £2,392 in 2026-27. The borough does not become expensive — it stops being exceptionally cheap. For a household that chose the area for its low tax, though, it is still £80 a month, and that sum is worth re-checking alongside rent: we have a guide to the affordable London boroughs with ONS figures for each one.

Q: What can you do if the bill is hard to pay?

Two steps, both free. First, check whether you qualify for Council Tax Reduction: it is means-tested, it is never applied automatically, and you claim it from your own council. Second, ask to pay over 12 months instead of 10: the yearly total is the same, but each payment falls by around 17%, and the council cannot refuse. How bands work, which discounts councils never offer you first and what happens if you fall behind are covered in our full guide to council tax.

England's cheapest council tax is about to stop being cheap: Wandsworth plans to add £958 to the annual Band D bill. The government has lifted the referendum cap for six councils — five of them in London: Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, the City and Wandsworth itself. From the primary sources: how much bills rise, why no referendum is needed, when the decision becomes final and what to do if the bill is unaffordable.

Published 2 October 2026, 06:17 4 min read Редакция

A Victorian terraced street in London with a black cab at the kerb — London. Wandsworth has had the lowest council tax in England for twenty years — £1,028 at Band D in 2026-27. From April 2027 the council plans £1,978. Photo: ONLYWAY NEWS

For twenty years Wandsworth has had the lowest council tax in England. In 2026-27 the average Band D bill in the borough is £1,028, against an English average of £2,392 and £2,765 in Dorset, the most expensive authority. From April 2027 almost all of that gap disappears.

How much will council tax rise in Wandsworth?

The council plans to add £958 a year to a Band D bill — about 94%, taking it from £1,020 to £1,978. Wandsworth publishes these figures itself, on a dedicated page about the increase, and has written to residents. Other bands move in proportion: Band A pays two thirds of Band D, Band H pays double.

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The small discrepancy in the figures is explainable: the council counts from £1,020, while the government's own statistics (MHCLG) put the borough at £1,028 for 2026-27, including the Greater London Authority precept of £511.

Why is the council allowed to go above the normal cap?

Because for six councils the cap has simply been removed. A rise above 5% (3% general plus 2% for adult social care) normally requires a local referendum, and no council holds one. But in the finance settlement for 2026-27 to 2028-29 the government stated that it will not set council tax referendum principles for six authorities in 2027-28 and 2028-29: Westminster, Windsor and Maidenhead, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, the City of London and Wandsworth. The wording is set out in the Local Government Association's briefing on the settlement. The logic: these are historically low-tax areas, and the reform shifts part of the burden from central grant onto local taxpayers.

Which other London boroughs could raise council tax without a cap?

The same five London authorities: Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, the City of London and Wandsworth. Removing the cap permits a rise, it does not require one — Westminster has said it will not use the power. But each council decides for itself, and decides again every year, so residents of those five boroughs should read their borough's budget papers in February rather than find out from the bill in April.

What does the council say is behind the rise?

A cut in government funding. Wandsworth says it has lost 40% of its funding — £84 million a year — and calls it the worst cash settlement in the country. Peter Graham, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, puts it this way: council tax will have to rise unless the government thinks again. That is the council's position rather than a neutral assessment: the Fair Funding reform redistributes money towards poorer areas, and it is the calculation that Wandsworth disputes.

When does the decision become final?

The council tax level for 2027-28 will be set through the formal budget process in February 2027 and agreed by full council in early March 2027. Until then £1,978 is a planning assumption, not a decision. The new bill lands with residents in April 2027.

How much is £1,978 a year, really?

Even after almost doubling, Wandsworth stays below the English average: £1,978 against £2,392 in 2026-27. The borough does not become expensive — it stops being exceptionally cheap. For a household that chose the area for its low tax, though, it is still £80 a month, and that sum is worth re-checking alongside rent: we have a guide to the affordable London boroughs with ONS figures for each one.

What can you do if the bill is hard to pay?

Two steps, both free. First, check whether you qualify for Council Tax Reduction: it is means-tested, it is never applied automatically, and you claim it from your own council. Second, ask to pay over 12 months instead of 10: the yearly total is the same, but each payment falls by around 17%, and the council cannot refuse. How bands work, which discounts councils never offer you first and what happens if you fall behind are covered in our full guide to council tax.

Sources