# Where your council tax goes in Birmingham url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/birmingham/where-it-goes/ updated: 29 September 2026 licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources. publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk) # Where your council tax goes in Birmingham Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). A Band D council tax bill in **Birmingham** is **£2,362.90** for 2026-27, split between Birmingham £1,984.93, Birmingham: adult social care precept, this year's increase £38.55, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable £244.50, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority £85.19, Parish and town councils (average for the area) £9.73. Shared out in proportion to what each body spends, the largest single line is adult social care at Birmingham: **£620.78** of the bill. Council tax pays for 12% of the council's own spending; the rest is government grant, business rates and fees. Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics). ## Key figures - £2,362.90Band D bill, 2026-27 As of 6 April 2026 - £1,984.93Goes to Birmingham itself (84%) As of 6 April 2026 - £620.78Largest line: adult social care As of 28 September 2026 - 12.3%Of the council's money that comes from council tax, 2025-26 As of 28 September 2026 Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics). ## Who gets your bill Your council tax band A B C D E F G H Figures are for a **Band D** home. Bands A to H pay a fixed fraction of this, set in law. 1984.93 38.55 244.50 85.19 9.73 Birmingham 84%Birmingham: adult social care precept, this year's increase 2%West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable 10%West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority 4%Parish and town councils (average for the area) 0% Parish precepts differ from parish to parish; this is the average across the area, and a home outside any parish pays none. ## And where does that bit go? Choose any part of the bill to see how it divides, then keep going as far as the published returns allow. Every level has its own link you can share. ### Where the rest comes from **Council tax pays for 12.3%** of the money Birmingham had to spend in 2025-26. ******** - Council tax 12.3% £526.6m - Business rates 15.0% £638.9m - Government grants for specific services 54.7% £2.33bn - Fees, charges and other income 18.0% £767.1m It also put £41.6m into its reserves that year. Council tax is pooled with the council's other money, not ring-fenced for any service. The split on this page shares your bill out in proportion to what each body spends; it does not say what any one pound paid for. - Your bill ### Your bill: £2,362.90 - [Birmingham](#d-council) £1,984.93 ** Your council · 84.0% of the bill - [Birmingham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) £38.55 ** Adult social care precept · 1.6% of the bill - [West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable](#d-police) £244.50 ** Police · 10.3% of the bill - [West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority](#d-fire) £85.19 ** Fire and rescue · 3.6% of the bill - Parish and town councils (average for the area) £9.73 ** Parish or town council · 0.4% of the bill. Parish, town and community councils do not file spending returns with the government, so there is no national breakdown. Each publishes its own annual accounts. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Birmingham ### Birmingham £1,984.93 of your bill goes to Birmingham. It is shared out below in proportion to how Birmingham spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return. - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) £620.78 ** 31.3% of this part · £540.4m in 2025-26 · £459 per resident; similar councils £460 · up 12.8% on 2024-25 - [Children's social care](#d-council~childrens-social-care) £447.28 ** 22.5% of this part · £389.4m in 2025-26 · £331 per resident; similar councils £310 · up 17.9% on 2024-25 - [Education](#d-council~education) £365.04 ** 18.4% of this part · £1.15bn in 2025-26 · £976 per resident; similar councils £778 · up 13.5% on 2024-25 - [Environment and regulation](#d-council~environment) £136.68 ** 6.9% of this part · £119.0m in 2025-26 · £101 per resident; similar councils £95 · up 19.0% on 2024-25 - [Roads and transport](#d-council~highways-transport) £124.63 ** 6.3% of this part · £108.5m in 2025-26 · £92 per resident; similar councils £26 · up 40.1% on 2024-25 - [Housing (not council homes)](#d-council~housing) £109.05 ** 5.5% of this part · £94.9m in 2025-26 · £81 per resident; similar councils £46 · up 36.5% on 2024-25 Not council homes: [see the note](#d-council~housing). - [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-council~culture-leisure) £87.29 ** 4.4% of this part · £76.0m in 2025-26 · £65 per resident; similar councils £51 · up 30.8% on 2024-25 - [Running the council](#d-council~central) £49.85 ** 2.5% of this part · £43.4m in 2025-26 · £37 per resident; similar councils £57 · down 60.2% on 2024-25 - Other services £28.92 ** 1.5% of this part · £25.2m in 2025-26 · £21 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 6.6% on 2024-25 - [Public health](#d-council~public-health) £15.41 ** 0.8% of this part · £122.9m in 2025-26 · £104 per resident; similar councils £86 · up 5.2% on 2024-25 Planning and development brought in £7.1m more than it cost in 2025-26, so it takes no share of your bill. Before sharing out your bill, the part of education paid for by the Dedicated Schools Grant (£830.9m) and public health paid for by the public health grant (£109.5m) is taken off, because council tax does not pay for it. **Which councils count as similar** Medians are across the 10 metropolitan borough councils closest in population: Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Sheffield, Bradford, Liverpool, Kirklees, Wakefield, Coventry, Sandwell. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - Adult social care ### Adult social care £620.78 of your bill goes to adult social care at Birmingham. Here is how its £540.4m of net spending on it divides in the return. - [Physical support](#d-council~adult-social-care.physical) £255.33 ** 41.1% of this · £222.3m in 2025-26 · £189 per resident; similar councils £158 · up 13.3% on 2024-25 - [Learning disability support](#d-council~adult-social-care.learning-disability) £168.23 ** 27.1% of this · £146.5m in 2025-26 · £124 per resident; similar councils £163 · up 20.1% on 2024-25 - Care assessment and safeguarding £71.84 ** 11.6% of this · £62.5m in 2025-26 · £53 per resident; similar councils £40 · up 19.2% on 2024-25 - [Mental health support](#d-council~adult-social-care.mental-health) £58.91 ** 9.5% of this · £51.3m in 2025-26 · £44 per resident; similar councils £50 · up 14.0% on 2024-25 - Commissioning, strategy and administration £28.47 ** 4.6% of this · £24.8m in 2025-26 · £21 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 6.5% on 2024-25 - [Support with memory and cognition](#d-council~adult-social-care.memory) £11.81 ** 1.9% of this · £10.3m in 2025-26 · £8.74 per resident; similar councils £23 · down 23.3% on 2024-25 - Information and early intervention £10.77 ** 1.7% of this · £9.4m in 2025-26 · £7.97 per resident; similar councils £7.29 · down 11.2% on 2024-25 - Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum) £7.63 ** 1.2% of this · £6.6m in 2025-26 · £5.64 per resident; similar councils £7.71 · down 13.1% on 2024-25 - Assistive equipment and technology £4.03 ** 0.6% of this · £3.5m in 2025-26 · £2.98 per resident; similar councils £5.76 · up 18.6% on 2024-25 - [Sensory support](#d-council~adult-social-care.sensory) £3.77 ** 0.6% of this · £3.3m in 2025-26 · £2.79 per resident; similar councils £4.71 · up 26.4% on 2024-25 #### Named suppliers In Birmingham's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-08 to 2026-07, payments our keyword matching links to adult social care came to £550.2m across 56,266 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost. - Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust: £38.6m (43 payments) - Change Grow Live Services Ltd: £29.1m (36 payments) - Sevacare UK Ltd: £17.3m (725 payments) - University Hospital Bham Nhs Trust: £15.4m (29 payments) - Claremont Living Group Limited: £11.6m (994 payments) [Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/?service=adult-social-care#search) - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Physical support ### Physical support £255.33 of your bill goes to physical support at Birmingham. Here is how its £222.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £161.51 ** 63.3% of this · £140.6m in 2025-26 · £119 per resident; similar councils £114 · up 8.6% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £93.82 ** 36.7% of this · £81.7m in 2025-26 · £69 per resident; similar councils £45 · up 22.4% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Learning disability support ### Learning disability support £168.23 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Birmingham. Here is how its £146.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £150.69 ** 89.6% of this · £131.2m in 2025-26 · £111 per resident; similar councils £150 · up 21.1% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £17.55 ** 10.4% of this · £15.3m in 2025-26 · £13 per resident; similar councils £18 · up 12.6% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Mental health support ### Mental health support £58.91 of your bill goes to mental health support at Birmingham. Here is how its £51.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £42.42 ** 72.0% of this · £36.9m in 2025-26 · £31 per resident; similar councils £33 · up 31.3% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £16.49 ** 28.0% of this · £14.4m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £15 · down 14.8% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Support with memory and cognition ### Support with memory and cognition £11.81 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Birmingham. Here is how its £10.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £6.73 ** 57.0% of this · £5.9m in 2025-26 · £4.98 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 40.7% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £5.08 ** 43.0% of this · £4.4m in 2025-26 · £3.76 per resident; similar councils £3.28 · up 25.5% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Sensory support ### Sensory support £3.77 of your bill goes to sensory support at Birmingham. Here is how its £3.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £3.02 ** 80.1% of this · £2.6m in 2025-26 · £2.23 per resident; similar councils £1.18 · up 29.9% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £0.75 ** 19.9% of this · £655k in 2025-26 · £0.56 per resident; similar councils £1.48 · up 13.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - Children's social care ### Children's social care £447.28 of your bill goes to children's social care at Birmingham. Here is how its £389.4m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Children looked after £230.30 ** 51.5% of this · £200.5m in 2025-26 · £170 per resident; similar councils £161 · up 16.0% on 2024-25 - Safeguarding and social work £123.19 ** 27.5% of this · £107.2m in 2025-26 · £91 per resident; similar councils £65 · up 35.6% on 2024-25 - Family support £39.07 ** 8.7% of this · £34.0m in 2025-26 · £29 per resident; similar councils £32 · down 3.3% on 2024-25 - Asylum-seeking children £23.96 ** 5.4% of this · £20.9m in 2025-26 · £18 per resident; similar councils £2.18 · up 6.6% on 2024-25 - Youth justice £15.09 ** 3.4% of this · £13.1m in 2025-26 · £11 per resident; similar councils £6.18 · up 15.2% on 2024-25 - Children's centres and early years £7.32 ** 1.6% of this · £6.4m in 2025-26 · £5.41 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 57827.3% on 2024-25 - Services for young people £6.75 ** 1.5% of this · £5.9m in 2025-26 · £5.00 per resident; similar councils £6.59 · down 24.9% on 2024-25 - Other children's and families' services £1.58 ** 0.4% of this · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £1.17 per resident; similar councils £0.60 · down 67.2% on 2024-25 #### Named suppliers In Birmingham's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-08 to 2026-07, payments our keyword matching links to children's social care came to £202.3m across 4,534 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost. - Transform Schools Bham Ltd: £21.9m (76 payments) - Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure Ltd: £21.2m (19 payments) - Birmingham Schools Partnership Ltd: £18.6m (42 payments) - Green Destinations Ltd: £15.2m (57 payments) - Birmingham Schools Spc Phase 1A Ltd: £12.9m (35 payments) [Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/?service=childrens-social-care#search) - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - Education ### Education £365.04 of your bill goes to education at Birmingham. Here is how its £1.15bn of net spending on it divides in the return. - Primary schools £179.72 ** 49.2% of this · £565.6m in 2025-26 · £481 per resident; similar councils £363 · up 35.2% on 2024-25 - Secondary schools £64.77 ** 17.7% of this · £203.8m in 2025-26 · £173 per resident; similar councils £106 · up 23.7% on 2024-25 - Special schools and alternative provision £56.50 ** 15.5% of this · £177.8m in 2025-26 · £151 per resident; similar councils £118 · up 14.9% on 2024-25 - Other education £43.43 ** 11.9% of this · £136.7m in 2025-26 · £116 per resident; similar councils £74 · down 25.3% on 2024-25 - Early years and nursery £16.87 ** 4.6% of this · £53.1m in 2025-26 · £45 per resident; similar councils £141 · down 41.3% on 2024-25 - Post-16 £3.75 ** 1.0% of this · £11.8m in 2025-26 · £10 per resident; similar councils £15 · up 1371.2% on 2024-25 #### Named suppliers In Birmingham's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-08 to 2026-07, payments our keyword matching links to education came to £45k across 33 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost. - International Zoo Veterinary Group: £30k (15 payments) - Initial Washroom Solutions: £4k (8 payments) - Memsafe Limited: £4k (1 payment) - Species360: £2k (1 payment) - Ricoh UK Limited: £2k (3 payments) [Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/?service=education#search) - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - Environment and regulation ### Environment and regulation £136.68 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Birmingham. Here is how its £119.0m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Waste collection £49.80 ** 36.4% of this · £51.2m in 2025-26 · £44 per resident; similar councils £16 · up 76.7% on 2024-25 - Waste disposal £38.50 ** 28.2% of this · £39.6m in 2025-26 · £34 per resident; similar councils £27 · up 24.0% on 2024-25 - Street cleaning £24.42 ** 17.9% of this · £25.1m in 2025-26 · £21 per resident; similar councils £16 · up 15.1% on 2024-25 - Community safety and CCTV £13.35 ** 9.8% of this · £13.7m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £7.26 · up 125.0% on 2024-25 - Recycling and waste minimisation £7.09 ** 5.2% of this · £7.3m in 2025-26 · £6.20 per resident; similar councils £18 · down 55.9% on 2024-25 - Trading standards £2.37 ** 1.7% of this · £2.4m in 2025-26 · £2.07 per resident; similar councils £1.27 · up 81.5% on 2024-25 - Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection £0.73 ** 0.5% of this · £748k in 2025-26 · £0.64 per resident; similar councils £0.65 · up 40.9% on 2024-25 - Other environmental services £0.35 ** 0.3% of this · £365k in 2025-26 · £0.31 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · down 49.6% on 2024-25 - Public toilets £0.07 ** under 0.1% of this · £71k in 2025-26 · £0.06 per resident; similar councils £0.01 · down 29.0% on 2024-25 #### Named suppliers In Birmingham's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-08 to 2026-07, payments our keyword matching links to environment and regulation came to £8.7m across 2,204 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost. - West Mercia Energy: £934k (190 payments) - Acivico (Design, Construction and Facilities Management) Limited: £868k (235 payments) - Waste Investigations Support & Enforcement Limited: £685k (24 payments) - Haystoun Construction Ltd: £680k (77 payments) - Wireless CCTV Ltd: £511k (4 payments) [Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/?service=environment#search) - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - Roads and transport ### Roads and transport £124.63 of your bill goes to roads and transport at Birmingham. Here is how its £108.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - [Road and bridge maintenance](#d-council~highways-transport.maintenance) £108.51 ** 87.1% of this · £112.0m in 2025-26 · £95 per resident; similar councils £16 · up 48.4% on 2024-25 - Street lighting (including energy) £12.15 ** 9.8% of this · £12.5m in 2025-26 · £11 per resident; similar councils £13 · down 5.9% on 2024-25 - Traffic management and road safety £2.41 ** 1.9% of this · £2.5m in 2025-26 · £2.11 per resident; similar councils £2.12 · up 70.3% on 2024-25 - Transport planning and policy £1.55 ** 1.2% of this · £1.6m in 2025-26 · £1.36 per resident; similar councils £2.30 · down 51.8% on 2024-25 #### Named suppliers In Birmingham's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-08 to 2026-07, payments our keyword matching links to roads and transport came to £174.5m across 16,296 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost. - Veolia Es Birmingham Ltd: £61.0m (88 payments) - Volkerfitzpatrick Limited: £23.2m (16 payments) - West Mercia Energy: £15.3m (336 payments) - Tom White Waste Limited: £15.1m (75 payments) - Extra Personnel Limited: £11.1m (11600 payments) [Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/?service=highways-transport#search) - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - [Roads and transport](#d-council~highways-transport) - Road and bridge maintenance ### Road and bridge maintenance £108.51 of your bill goes to road and bridge maintenance at Birmingham. Here is how its £112.0m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges) £106.87 ** 98.5% of this · £110.3m in 2025-26 · £94 per resident; similar councils £1.10 · up 47.5% on 2024-25 - Environmental, safety and routine maintenance £1.64 ** 1.5% of this · £1.7m in 2025-26 · £1.44 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 145.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - Housing (not council homes) ### Housing (not council homes) £109.05 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Birmingham. Here is how its £94.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Homelessness and temporary accommodation £66.92 ** 61.4% of this · £58.3m in 2025-26 · £50 per resident; similar councils £30 · up 21.0% on 2024-25 - Supporting People and welfare services £20.64 ** 18.9% of this · £18.0m in 2025-26 · £15 per resident; similar councils £5.96 · down 4.0% on 2024-25 - Private sector housing renewal £10.28 ** 9.4% of this · £8.9m in 2025-26 · £7.60 per resident; similar councils £1.56 - Housing benefit administration and discretionary payments £9.94 ** 9.1% of this · £8.7m in 2025-26 · £7.35 per resident; similar councils £5.60 · up 49.9% on 2024-25 - Housing strategy, advice and enabling £1.13 ** 1.0% of this · £981k in 2025-26 · £0.83 per resident; similar councils £2.77 · down 20.0% on 2024-25 - Other General Fund housing £0.15 ** 0.1% of this · £131k in 2025-26 · £0.11 per resident; similar councils £0.01 · up 1090.9% on 2024-25 #### Named suppliers In Birmingham's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-08 to 2026-07, payments our keyword matching links to housing (not council homes) came to £432.5m across 8,881 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost. - Equans Regeneration Limited: £198.2m (71 payments) - Fortem Solutions Ltd: £110.8m (23 payments) - TravelPerk UK IRL Ltd: £16.3m (23 payments) - Perk UK Ltd: £12.2m (16 payments) - Acivico (Design, Construction and Facilities Management) Limited: £7.6m (875 payments) [Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/?service=housing#search) **Council homes are not in this.** Council housing is paid for through the Housing Revenue Account, from tenants' rents, and the law keeps it separate from the General Fund that council tax goes into. Birmingham's Housing Revenue Account took in £343.3m and spent £351.8m in 2025-26. [What council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#ring-fence). - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - Parks, leisure, libraries and culture ### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture £87.29 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Birmingham. Here is how its £76.0m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Sport and leisure £26.90 ** 30.8% of this · £23.4m in 2025-26 · £20 per resident; similar councils £13 · up 94.3% on 2024-25 Paid most (our matching of £500 records): Galliford Try Construction Limited £9.8m; Birmingham Community Leisure Trust Limited £2.0m. [Search](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/?service=culture-leisure.sport#search) - Libraries £25.88 ** 29.6% of this · £22.5m in 2025-26 · £19 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 30.8% on 2024-25 Paid most (our matching of £500 records): Birmingham District Energy Company Limited £1.6m; Acivico (Design, Construction and Facilities Management) Limited £1.5m. [Search](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/?service=culture-leisure.libraries#search) - Parks and open spaces (including play areas) £24.33 ** 27.9% of this · £21.2m in 2025-26 · £18 per resident; similar councils £10 · up 4.7% on 2024-25 Paid most (our matching of £500 records): Haystoun Construction Ltd £2.2m; Gristwood and Toms Limited £1.7m. [Search](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/?service=culture-leisure.parks#search) - Museums, arts, heritage and archives £10.18 ** 11.7% of this · £8.9m in 2025-26 · £7.53 per resident; similar councils £13 · up 3.2% on 2024-25 #### Named suppliers In Birmingham's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-08 to 2026-07, payments our keyword matching links to parks, leisure, libraries and culture came to £33.0m across 3,929 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost. - Galliford Try Construction Limited: £9.8m (13 payments) - Acivico (Design, Construction and Facilities Management) Limited: £2.6m (609 payments) - Haystoun Construction Ltd: £2.3m (119 payments) - Birmingham Community Leisure Trust Limited: £2.0m (7 payments) - Gristwood and Toms Limited: £1.7m (16 payments) [Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/?service=culture-leisure#search) - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - Running the council ### Running the council £49.85 of your bill goes to running the council at Birmingham. Here is how its £43.4m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets) £25.14 ** 50.4% of this · £22.4m in 2025-26 · £19 per resident; similar councils £8.25 · down 25.8% on 2024-25 - Corporate and democratic core £12.76 ** 25.6% of this · £11.4m in 2025-26 · £9.65 per resident; similar councils £17 · down 31.6% on 2024-25 - Coroners' and other courts £5.14 ** 10.3% of this · £4.6m in 2025-26 · £3.89 per resident; similar councils £2.16 · down 11.7% on 2024-25 - Collecting council tax and business rates £3.86 ** 7.8% of this · £3.4m in 2025-26 · £2.92 per resident; similar councils £8.91 - Elections and electoral registration £1.90 ** 3.8% of this · £1.7m in 2025-26 · £1.43 per resident; similar councils £2.56 - Registering births, deaths and marriages £1.04 ** 2.1% of this · £929k in 2025-26 · £0.79 per resident; similar councils £-0.18 · up 91.9% on 2024-25 #### Named suppliers In Birmingham's own records of payments over £500 for 2025-08 to 2026-07, payments our keyword matching links to running the council came to £236.4m across 13,414 payments. Those records leave out salaries, so they are not the whole cost. - Hays Specialist Recruitment Ltd: £116.7m (75 payments) - Oracle Corporation UK Ltd: £8.9m (78 payments) - Bevan Brittan LLP: £7.2m (61 payments) - Royal Mail Group Limited: £7.1m (137 payments) - Phoenix Software Limited: £6.4m (5 payments) [Search these payments](/councils/spending-over-500/birmingham/?service=central#search) - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham](#d-council) - Public health ### Public health £15.41 of your bill goes to public health at Birmingham. Here is how its £122.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Health visiting and children's 0-5 services £4.75 ** 30.8% of this · £37.9m in 2025-26 · £32 per resident; similar councils £18 · up 1.3% on 2024-25 - Drug and alcohol services £3.86 ** 25.1% of this · £30.8m in 2025-26 · £26 per resident; similar councils £22 · down 0.1% on 2024-25 - Sexual health £2.20 ** 14.3% of this · £17.6m in 2025-26 · £15 per resident; similar councils £10 · up 1.8% on 2024-25 - Other public health £1.95 ** 12.6% of this · £15.5m in 2025-26 · £13 per resident; similar councils £14 · up 47.0% on 2024-25 - Children's 5-19 programmes £1.03 ** 6.7% of this · £8.2m in 2025-26 · £6.96 per resident; similar councils £4.98 · up 10.3% on 2024-25 - Obesity and physical activity £0.57 ** 3.7% of this · £4.5m in 2025-26 · £3.86 per resident; similar councils £4.34 · down 4.9% on 2024-25 - Stop smoking and tobacco control £0.46 ** 3.0% of this · £3.7m in 2025-26 · £3.10 per resident; similar councils £3.02 · down 5.4% on 2024-25 - Public mental health £0.32 ** 2.1% of this · £2.6m in 2025-26 · £2.19 per resident; similar councils £2.70 · down 4.1% on 2024-25 - NHS health checks and health protection £0.27 ** 1.7% of this · £2.1m in 2025-26 · £1.83 per resident; similar councils £3.27 · up 8.5% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Birmingham: adult social care precept, this year's increase ### Birmingham: adult social care precept, this year's increase £38.55 of your bill is this year's adult social care precept, which councils may raise on top of the usual limit for adult social care. It is shown against how Birmingham's adult social care spending of £540.4m divided in 2025-26. MHCLG publishes only this year's increase; the running total since 2016-17 printed on your bill is in the council part above. - [Physical support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.physical) £15.86 ** 41.1% of this precept · £222.3m in 2025-26 · £189 per resident; similar councils £158 · up 13.3% on 2024-25 - [Learning disability support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.learning-disability) £10.45 ** 27.1% of this precept · £146.5m in 2025-26 · £124 per resident; similar councils £163 · up 20.1% on 2024-25 - Care assessment and safeguarding £4.46 ** 11.6% of this precept · £62.5m in 2025-26 · £53 per resident; similar councils £40 · up 19.2% on 2024-25 - [Mental health support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.mental-health) £3.66 ** 9.5% of this precept · £51.3m in 2025-26 · £44 per resident; similar councils £50 · up 14.0% on 2024-25 - Commissioning, strategy and administration £1.77 ** 4.6% of this precept · £24.8m in 2025-26 · £21 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 6.5% on 2024-25 - [Support with memory and cognition](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.memory) £0.73 ** 1.9% of this precept · £10.3m in 2025-26 · £8.74 per resident; similar councils £23 · down 23.3% on 2024-25 - Information and early intervention £0.67 ** 1.7% of this precept · £9.4m in 2025-26 · £7.97 per resident; similar councils £7.29 · down 11.2% on 2024-25 - Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum) £0.47 ** 1.2% of this precept · £6.6m in 2025-26 · £5.64 per resident; similar councils £7.71 · down 13.1% on 2024-25 - Assistive equipment and technology £0.25 ** 0.6% of this precept · £3.5m in 2025-26 · £2.98 per resident; similar councils £5.76 · up 18.6% on 2024-25 - [Sensory support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.sensory) £0.23 ** 0.6% of this precept · £3.3m in 2025-26 · £2.79 per resident; similar councils £4.71 · up 26.4% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Physical support ### Physical support £15.86 of your bill goes to physical support at Birmingham. Here is how its £222.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £10.03 ** 63.3% of this · £140.6m in 2025-26 · £119 per resident; similar councils £114 · up 8.6% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £5.83 ** 36.7% of this · £81.7m in 2025-26 · £69 per resident; similar councils £45 · up 22.4% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Learning disability support ### Learning disability support £10.45 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Birmingham. Here is how its £146.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £9.36 ** 89.6% of this · £131.2m in 2025-26 · £111 per resident; similar councils £150 · up 21.1% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £1.09 ** 10.4% of this · £15.3m in 2025-26 · £13 per resident; similar councils £18 · up 12.6% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Mental health support ### Mental health support £3.66 of your bill goes to mental health support at Birmingham. Here is how its £51.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £2.63 ** 72.0% of this · £36.9m in 2025-26 · £31 per resident; similar councils £33 · up 31.3% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £1.02 ** 28.0% of this · £14.4m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £15 · down 14.8% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Support with memory and cognition ### Support with memory and cognition £0.73 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Birmingham. Here is how its £10.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £0.42 ** 57.0% of this · £5.9m in 2025-26 · £4.98 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 40.7% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £0.32 ** 43.0% of this · £4.4m in 2025-26 · £3.76 per resident; similar councils £3.28 · up 25.5% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Birmingham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Sensory support ### Sensory support £0.23 of your bill goes to sensory support at Birmingham. Here is how its £3.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £0.19 ** 80.1% of this · £2.6m in 2025-26 · £2.23 per resident; similar councils £1.18 · up 29.9% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £0.05 ** 19.9% of this · £655k in 2025-26 · £0.56 per resident; similar councils £1.48 · up 13.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable ### West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable £244.50 of your bill is this year's adult social care precept, which councils may raise on top of the usual limit for adult social care. It is shown against how West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable's adult social care spending of £937.6m divided in 2025-26. MHCLG publishes only this year's increase; the running total since 2016-17 printed on your bill is in the council part above. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority ### West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority £85.19 of your bill goes to West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority. It is shared out below in proportion to how West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return. - [Fire and rescue](#d-fire~fire) £83.79 ** 98.4% of this part · £137.8m in 2025-26 · £46 per resident; similar councils £48 · up 5.8% on 2024-25 - Running the council £1.40 ** 1.6% of this part · £2.3m in 2025-26 · £0.76 per resident; similar councils £0.64 · down 14.0% on 2024-25 **Which councils count as similar** Medians are across the 10 fire and rescue authorities closest in population: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority, Kent Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Essex Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Devon and Somerset Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Lancashire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Authority, South Wales Fire Authority, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority](#d-fire) - Fire and rescue ### Fire and rescue £83.79 of your bill goes to fire and rescue at West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority. Here is how its £137.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Firefighting and rescue £73.15 ** 87.3% of this · £120.3m in 2025-26 · £40 per resident; similar councils £41 · up 6.1% on 2024-25 - Community fire safety £10.60 ** 12.6% of this · £17.4m in 2025-26 · £5.76 per resident; similar councils £4.91 · up 4.9% on 2024-25 - Fire emergency planning £0.04 ** under 0.1% of this · £65k in 2025-26 · £0.02 per resident; similar councils £0.15 · down 67.3% on 2024-25 ## Parks, street cleaning and roads here What Birmingham spent, net of income, on the lines readers ask about most. Roads and street cleaning are also shown per mile of road the council looks after, where it is the highway authority. Gully cleaning and verge cutting are inside routine maintenance; no return splits them out. | Line | Net spending | Per resident | Similar councils, per resident | Per mile of road | Change | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Parks and open spaces (including play areas)Details | £21.2m | £18 | £10 | — | up 4.7% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£18Similar councils, per resident£10Per mile of road—Changeup 4.7% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Street cleaningDetails | £25.1m | £21 | £16 | £15,741 (similar: £7,821) | up 15.1% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£21Similar councils, per resident£16Per mile of road£15,741 (similar: £7,821)Changeup 15.1% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Road and bridge maintenanceDetails | £112.0m | £95 | £16 | £70,158 (similar: £8,663) | up 48.4% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£95Similar councils, per resident£16Per mile of road£70,158 (similar: £8,663)Changeup 48.4% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Environmental, safety and routine maintenanceDetails | £1.7m | £1.44 | £12 | £1,061 (similar: £6,112) | up 145.9% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£1.44Similar councils, per resident£12Per mile of road£1,061 (similar: £6,112)Changeup 145.9% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges)Details | £110.3m | £94 | £1.10 | £69,096 (similar: £491) | up 47.5% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£94Similar councils, per resident£1.10Per mile of road£69,096 (similar: £491)Changeup 47.5% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Street lighting (including energy)Details | £12.5m | £11 | £13 | £7,857 (similar: £7,140) | down 5.9% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£11Similar councils, per resident£13Per mile of road£7,857 (similar: £7,140)Changedown 5.9% on 2024-25 | | | | | | Miles of road: Department for Transport road lengths, 2025; locally managed major roads and all minor roads. More on [what council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#local-environment). ## What it adds up to | Service | Per resident | Median | | --- | --- | --- | | EducationDetails | £976 | £869 | | Median£869 | | | | Adult social careDetails | £459 | £482 | | Median£482 | | | | Children's social careDetails | £331 | £340 | | Median£340 | | | | Public healthDetails | £104 | £88 | | Median£88 | | | | Environment and regulationDetails | £101 | £92 | | Median£92 | | | | Roads and transportDetails | £92 | £29 | | Median£29 | | | | Housing (not council homes)Details | £81 | £39 | | Median£39 | | | | Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails | £65 | £49 | | Median£49 | | | | Running the councilDetails | £37 | £60 | | Median£60 | | | | Other servicesDetails | £21 | £0.34 | | Median£0.34 | | | | Planning and developmentDetails | £-6.07 | £29 | | Median£29 | | | - Birmingham spent **26.4%** of its gross service spending on its own staff in 2025-26 (median for metropolitan borough councils: 34.4%); the rest went on suppliers, contractors, grants, benefits and other running costs. - Its published payments of £500 or more came to **£1.88bn** between 2025-08 and 2026-07. These include capital and council housing spending, so they are not a share of the figures above. - Payments we classify as consultancy and agency staff came to **15.7%** of its staff costs (median among the 3 other metropolitan borough councils whose £500 data is read: 8.6%). The two come from different sources and periods, so this is a guide to scale, not an exact share. ## What this data does and doesn't show - These are each body's own figures, as reported to government in its revenue outturn return. Net spending is after the fees, charges and grants a service brings in. - Your bill is for 2026-27; it is shared out using the latest published return, which covers an earlier year. The mix of spending changes little from one year to the next, but it does change. - Council tax is not ring-fenced: this shows your bill in proportion to spending, not what your money bought. Where a precept is set aside for adult social care, it is shown against adult social care. - No council publishes spending at street or property level, so nothing here says what was spent near you. - Sub-service lines are the ones the national returns itemise. Councils describe their own budgets differently; their budget books and statements of accounts have more detail. ## Sources - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, [Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England: Table 10, local authority level data](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a02eeeccd2e0e8b5b20b449/Table_10_2026-27.ods), published 25 March 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, [Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: Revenue Outturn multi-year data set](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab26ffffe72ed1e2b02ee74/Revenue_Outturn_time_series_data_v4.csv), published 28 September 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. How the split is worked out, and how the three nations' returns are matched to one list of services, is on the [methodology page](/methodology/#council-spending). The dataset is on the [data page](/data/#council-spending). See also [council tax in Birmingham](/council-tax/england/birmingham/) and [everything else about Birmingham](/your-area/birmingham/). ## Common questions What does council tax pay for in Birmingham? A Band D bill of £2,362.90 is split between Birmingham, Birmingham: adult social care precept, this year's increase, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority, Parish and town councils (average for the area). In proportion to spending, the largest line is adult social care, £620.78.Is council tax ring-fenced for particular services? No. Council tax is pooled with grants, business rates and fees. The adult social care precept is the exception: councils raise it for adult social care. ## Sources for this page | Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Council Tax levels set by local authorities in England](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | the 2026–27 financial year | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: Revenue Outturn multi-year data set](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab26ffffe72ed1e2b02ee74/Revenue_Outturn_time_series_data_v4.csv) | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 28 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Related pages - [Next in this section: Parking income in Birmingham](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/parking/birmingham/) - [Back to Birmingham: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/birmingham/) - [How much is council tax and what does it pay for?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/) - [Who is my MP, and what does their office cost?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/mps/) - [Where does my tax money actually go?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/for-every-100-pounds-of-tax/) ## More from this publisher - [UK tax calculators](https://howlongisit.co.uk) Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.