# Where your council tax goes in Cumberland

url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/cumberland/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 Cumberland



Last updated 29 September 2026.
Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/).





A Band D council tax bill in **Cumberland** is **£2,511.32** for 2026-27, split between Cumberland £1,964.49, Cumberland: adult social care precept, this year's increase £38.15, Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable £338.94, Cumbria PCC-FRA £103.14, Parish and town councils (average for the area) £66.60. Shared out in proportion to what each body spends, the largest single line is children's social care at Cumberland: **£737.89** of the bill. Council tax pays for 22% 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



- £2,511.32Band D bill, 2026-27


As of 6 April 2026
- £1,964.49Goes to Cumberland itself (78%)


As of 6 April 2026
- £737.89Largest line: children's social care


As of 28 September 2026
- 22.1%Of the council's money that comes from council tax, 2023-24


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.



1964.49

38.15

338.94

103.14

66.60



Cumberland 78%Cumberland: adult social care precept, this year's increase 2%Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable 13%Cumbria PCC-FRA 4%Parish and town councils (average for the area) 3%



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 22.1%** of the money
Cumberland had to spend in 2023-24.


**********



- Council tax 22.1% £152.9m
- Business rates 4.4% £30.6m
- General government grant 1.7% £11.4m
- Government grants for specific services 41.8% £288.6m
- Fees, charges and other income 30.1% £207.8m




It also put £64.7m 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: £2,511.32


- [Cumberland](#d-council)
£1,964.49

**
Your council · 78.2% of the bill
- [Cumberland: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care)
£38.15

**
Adult social care precept · 1.5% of the bill
- [Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable](#d-police)
£338.94

**
Police · 13.5% of the bill
- [Cumbria PCC-FRA](#d-fire)
£103.14

**
Fire and rescue · 4.1% of the bill
- Parish and town councils (average for the area)
£66.60

**
Parish or town council · 2.7% 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)
- Cumberland





### Cumberland



£1,964.49 of your bill goes to Cumberland. It is shared out below in proportion to how
Cumberland spent its money in 2023-24, its latest published return.


- [Children's social care](#d-council~childrens-social-care)
£737.89

**
37.6% of this part · £109.3m in 2023-24 · £387 per resident; similar councils £317
- [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care)
£704.16

**
35.8% of this part · £104.3m in 2023-24 · £370 per resident; similar councils £467
- [Running the council](#d-council~central)
£127.38

**
6.5% of this part · £18.9m in 2023-24 · £67 per resident; similar councils £47
- [Environment and regulation](#d-council~environment)
£111.31

**
5.7% of this part · £16.5m in 2023-24 · £58 per resident; similar councils £110
- [Roads and transport](#d-council~highways-transport)
£80.19

**
4.1% of this part · £11.9m in 2023-24 · £42 per resident; similar councils £39
- [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-council~culture-leisure)
£74.52

**
3.8% of this part · £11.0m in 2023-24 · £39 per resident; similar councils £43
- [Housing (not council homes)](#d-council~housing)
£61.04

**
3.1% of this part · £9.0m in 2023-24 · £32 per resident; similar councils £54
Not council homes: [see the note](#d-council~housing).
- [Planning and development](#d-council~planning-development)
£35.42

**
1.8% of this part · £5.2m in 2023-24 · £19 per resident; similar councils £17
- Other services
£29.66

**
1.5% of this part · £4.4m in 2023-24 · £16 per resident; similar councils £0.00
- [Public health](#d-council~public-health)
£2.91

**
0.1% of this part · £12.6m in 2023-24 · £45 per resident; similar councils £80





Before sharing out your bill, the part of education paid for by the Dedicated Schools Grant (£164.5m) and public health paid for by the public health grant (£12.2m) is taken off, because council tax does not pay for it.






**Which councils count as similar**



Medians are across the 10 unitary councils in England closest in population: Brighton and Hove, Derby City, Kingston-upon-Hull, Medway Towns, Stoke-on-Trent, Plymouth, Southampton, South Gloucestershire, Milton Keynes, Central Bedfordshire. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates.






- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- Children's social care





### Children's social care



£737.89 of your bill goes to children's social care at Cumberland. Here is how its £109.3m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Children looked after
£370.94

**
50.3% of this · £55.0m in 2023-24 · £195 per resident; similar councils £195
- Services for young people
£159.76

**
21.7% of this · £23.7m in 2023-24 · £84 per resident; similar councils £4.34
- Children's centres and early years
£84.75

**
11.5% of this · £12.6m in 2023-24 · £44 per resident; similar councils £9.75
- Safeguarding and social work
£77.20

**
10.5% of this · £11.4m in 2023-24 · £41 per resident; similar councils £67
- Other children's and families' services
£21.19

**
2.9% of this · £3.1m in 2023-24 · £11 per resident; similar councils £3.65
- Family support
£15.30

**
2.1% of this · £2.3m in 2023-24 · £8.03 per resident; similar councils £33
- Youth justice
£8.75

**
1.2% of this · £1.3m in 2023-24 · £4.59 per resident; similar councils £5.15











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- Adult social care





### Adult social care



£704.16 of your bill goes to adult social care at Cumberland. Here is how its £104.3m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- [Physical support](#d-council~adult-social-care.physical)
£337.08

**
47.9% of this · £50.0m in 2023-24 · £177 per resident; similar councils £134
- [Learning disability support](#d-council~adult-social-care.learning-disability)
£170.26

**
24.2% of this · £25.2m in 2023-24 · £89 per resident; similar councils £150
- [Mental health support](#d-council~adult-social-care.mental-health)
£115.90

**
16.5% of this · £17.2m in 2023-24 · £61 per resident; similar councils £46
- Support with memory and cognition
£37.67

**
5.3% of this · £5.6m in 2023-24 · £20 per resident; similar councils £23
- Care assessment and safeguarding
£18.58

**
2.6% of this · £2.8m in 2023-24 · £9.75 per resident; similar councils £47
- Assistive equipment and technology
£9.34

**
1.3% of this · £1.4m in 2023-24 · £4.90 per resident; similar councils £1.95
- Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum)
£9.02

**
1.3% of this · £1.3m in 2023-24 · £4.74 per resident; similar councils £8.00
- Commissioning, strategy and administration
£5.81

**
0.8% of this · £861k in 2023-24 · £3.05 per resident; similar councils £22
- Sensory support
£0.49

**
under 0.1% of this · £73k in 2023-24 · £0.26 per resident; similar councils £2.71











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care)
- Physical support





### Physical support



£337.08 of your bill goes to physical support at Cumberland. Here is how its £50.0m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£278.18

**
82.5% of this · £41.2m in 2023-24 · £146 per resident; similar councils £94
- Aged 18 to 64
£58.90

**
17.5% of this · £8.7m in 2023-24 · £31 per resident; similar councils £46











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care)
- Learning disability support





### Learning disability support



£170.26 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Cumberland. Here is how its £25.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£149.58

**
87.9% of this · £22.2m in 2023-24 · £79 per resident; similar councils £137
- Aged 65 and over
£20.68

**
12.1% of this · £3.1m in 2023-24 · £11 per resident; similar councils £15











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care)
- Mental health support





### Mental health support



£115.90 of your bill goes to mental health support at Cumberland. Here is how its £17.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£84.50

**
72.9% of this · £12.5m in 2023-24 · £44 per resident; similar councils £35
- Aged 65 and over
£31.41

**
27.1% of this · £4.7m in 2023-24 · £16 per resident; similar councils £14











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- Running the council





### Running the council



£127.38 of your bill goes to running the council at Cumberland. Here is how its £18.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Other central services
£85.97

**
67.5% of this · £12.9m in 2023-24 · £46 per resident; similar councils £-0.11
- Corporate and democratic core
£18.40

**
14.4% of this · £2.8m in 2023-24 · £9.77 per resident; similar councils £20
- Collecting council tax and business rates
£13.91

**
10.9% of this · £2.1m in 2023-24 · £7.38 per resident; similar councils £7.84
- Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets)
£4.72

**
3.7% of this · £707k in 2023-24 · £2.50 per resident; similar councils £5.51
- Elections and electoral registration
£4.39

**
3.4% of this · £658k in 2023-24 · £2.33 per resident; similar councils £1.94











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- Environment and regulation





### Environment and regulation



£111.31 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Cumberland. Here is how its £16.5m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Waste collection
£33.60

**
30.2% of this · £6.8m in 2023-24 · £24 per resident; similar councils £29
- Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing
£26.77

**
24.1% of this · £5.4m in 2023-24 · £19 per resident; similar councils £4.55
- Recycling and waste minimisation
£21.86

**
19.6% of this · £4.4m in 2023-24 · £16 per resident; similar councils £13
- Street cleaning
£18.04

**
16.2% of this · £3.7m in 2023-24 · £13 per resident; similar councils £14
- Cemeteries and crematoria
£3.01

**
2.7% of this · £611k in 2023-24 · £2.16 per resident; similar councils £-0.58
- Trading standards
£2.72

**
2.4% of this · £552k in 2023-24 · £1.96 per resident; similar councils £1.77
- Community safety and CCTV
£2.39

**
2.1% of this · £484k in 2023-24 · £1.71 per resident; similar councils £5.70
- Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection
£1.45

**
1.3% of this · £294k in 2023-24 · £1.04 per resident; similar councils £1.19
- Public toilets
£0.85

**
0.8% of this · £172k in 2023-24 · £0.61 per resident; similar councils £0.08
- Other environmental services
£0.62

**
0.6% of this · £126k in 2023-24 · £0.45 per resident; similar councils £0.69











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- Roads and transport





### Roads and transport



£80.19 of your bill goes to roads and transport at Cumberland. Here is how its £11.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Transport planning and policy
£23.78

**
29.6% of this · £4.6m in 2023-24 · £16 per resident; similar councils £5.61
- Road and bridge maintenance
£22.22

**
27.7% of this · £4.3m in 2023-24 · £15 per resident; similar councils £11
- Support for bus, rail and other public transport
£14.58

**
18.2% of this · £2.8m in 2023-24 · £9.93 per resident; similar councils £9.45
- Street lighting (including energy)
£14.00

**
17.5% of this · £2.7m in 2023-24 · £9.53 per resident; similar councils £9.72
- Winter service (gritting)
£5.62

**
7.0% of this · £1.1m in 2023-24 · £3.83 per resident; similar councils £1.82











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- Parks, leisure, libraries and culture





### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture



£74.52 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Cumberland. Here is how its £11.0m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Libraries
£28.50

**
38.2% of this · £4.2m in 2023-24 · £15 per resident; similar councils £12
- Parks and open spaces (including play areas)
£19.83

**
26.6% of this · £2.9m in 2023-24 · £10 per resident; similar councils £18
- Museums, arts, heritage and archives
£18.13

**
24.3% of this · £2.7m in 2023-24 · £9.52 per resident; similar councils £12
- Tourism
£3.45

**
4.6% of this · £511k in 2023-24 · £1.81 per resident; similar councils £0.16
- Sport and leisure
£2.63

**
3.5% of this · £390k in 2023-24 · £1.38 per resident; similar councils £3.57
- Community centres and public halls
£1.96

**
2.6% of this · £290k in 2023-24 · £1.03 per resident; similar councils £0.00
- Other culture and leisure
£0.02

**
under 0.1% of this · £3k in 2023-24 · £0.01 per resident; similar councils £0.00











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- Housing (not council homes)





### Housing (not council homes)



£61.04 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Cumberland. Here is how its £9.0m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Supporting People and welfare services
£36.39

**
59.6% of this · £5.4m in 2023-24 · £19 per resident; similar councils £2.16
- Homelessness and temporary accommodation
£12.86

**
21.1% of this · £1.9m in 2023-24 · £6.75 per resident; similar councils £25
- Housing benefit administration and discretionary payments
£8.87

**
14.5% of this · £1.3m in 2023-24 · £4.65 per resident; similar councils £6.05
- Private sector housing renewal
£2.11

**
3.5% of this · £313k in 2023-24 · £1.11 per resident; similar councils £0.98
- Housing strategy, advice and enabling
£0.81

**
1.3% of this · £120k in 2023-24 · £0.43 per resident; similar councils £1.28







**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.
Cumberland reported no Housing Revenue Account for 2023-24: it has no council homes of its own, or they were transferred to a housing association.
[What council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#ring-fence).








- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- Planning and development





### Planning and development



£35.42 of your bill goes to planning and development at Cumberland. Here is how its £5.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Economic development and business support
£13.83

**
39.1% of this · £2.0m in 2023-24 · £7.26 per resident; similar councils £5.20
- Community development
£10.39

**
29.3% of this · £1.5m in 2023-24 · £5.45 per resident; similar councils £4.70
- Planning applications (development management)
£7.61

**
21.5% of this · £1.1m in 2023-24 · £4.00 per resident; similar councils £2.98
- Planning policy
£2.54

**
7.2% of this · £376k in 2023-24 · £1.33 per resident; similar councils £4.11
- Environmental initiatives
£0.69

**
1.9% of this · £102k in 2023-24 · £0.36 per resident; similar councils £0.99
- Building control
£0.36

**
1.0% of this · £54k in 2023-24 · £0.19 per resident; similar councils £0.90











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland](#d-council)
- Public health





### Public health



£2.91 of your bill goes to public health at Cumberland. Here is how its £12.6m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Children's 5-19 programmes
£0.75

**
25.8% of this · £3.3m in 2023-24 · £12 per resident; similar councils £5.96
- Drug and alcohol services
£0.67

**
23.2% of this · £2.9m in 2023-24 · £10 per resident; similar councils £23
- Public mental health
£0.52

**
17.9% of this · £2.3m in 2023-24 · £7.99 per resident; similar councils £1.35
- Sexual health
£0.34

**
11.6% of this · £1.5m in 2023-24 · £5.19 per resident; similar councils £12
- Obesity and physical activity
£0.32

**
11.1% of this · £1.4m in 2023-24 · £4.96 per resident; similar councils £3.16
- Other public health
£0.22

**
7.5% of this · £947k in 2023-24 · £3.35 per resident; similar councils £7.19
- NHS health checks and health protection
£0.06

**
2.0% of this · £248k in 2023-24 · £0.88 per resident; similar councils £3.13
- Stop smoking and tobacco control
£0.03

**
1.0% of this · £128k in 2023-24 · £0.45 per resident; similar councils £2.87











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- Cumberland: adult social care precept, this year's increase





### Cumberland: adult social care precept, this year's increase



£38.15 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 Cumberland's adult social care spending of
£104.3m divided in 2023-24. 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)
£18.26

**
47.9% of this precept · £50.0m in 2023-24 · £177 per resident; similar councils £134
- [Learning disability support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.learning-disability)
£9.22

**
24.2% of this precept · £25.2m in 2023-24 · £89 per resident; similar councils £150
- [Mental health support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.mental-health)
£6.28

**
16.5% of this precept · £17.2m in 2023-24 · £61 per resident; similar councils £46
- Support with memory and cognition
£2.04

**
5.3% of this precept · £5.6m in 2023-24 · £20 per resident; similar councils £23
- Care assessment and safeguarding
£1.01

**
2.6% of this precept · £2.8m in 2023-24 · £9.75 per resident; similar councils £47
- Assistive equipment and technology
£0.51

**
1.3% of this precept · £1.4m in 2023-24 · £4.90 per resident; similar councils £1.95
- Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum)
£0.49

**
1.3% of this precept · £1.3m in 2023-24 · £4.74 per resident; similar councils £8.00
- Commissioning, strategy and administration
£0.31

**
0.8% of this precept · £861k in 2023-24 · £3.05 per resident; similar councils £22
- Sensory support
£0.03

**
under 0.1% of this precept · £73k in 2023-24 · £0.26 per resident; similar councils £2.71





- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care)
- Physical support





### Physical support



£18.26 of your bill goes to physical support at Cumberland. Here is how its £50.0m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 65 and over
£15.07

**
82.5% of this · £41.2m in 2023-24 · £146 per resident; similar councils £94
- Aged 18 to 64
£3.19

**
17.5% of this · £8.7m in 2023-24 · £31 per resident; similar councils £46











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care)
- Learning disability support





### Learning disability support



£9.22 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Cumberland. Here is how its £25.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£8.10

**
87.9% of this · £22.2m in 2023-24 · £79 per resident; similar councils £137
- Aged 65 and over
£1.12

**
12.1% of this · £3.1m in 2023-24 · £11 per resident; similar councils £15











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumberland: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care)
- Mental health support





### Mental health support



£6.28 of your bill goes to mental health support at Cumberland. Here is how its £17.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Aged 18 to 64
£4.58

**
72.9% of this · £12.5m in 2023-24 · £44 per resident; similar councils £35
- Aged 65 and over
£1.70

**
27.1% of this · £4.7m in 2023-24 · £16 per resident; similar councils £14











- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable





### Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable



£338.94 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 Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable's adult social care spending of
£154.0m 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)
- Cumbria PCC-FRA





### Cumbria PCC-FRA



£103.14 of your bill goes to Cumbria PCC-FRA. It is shared out below in proportion to how
Cumbria PCC-FRA spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return.


- [Fire and rescue](#d-fire~fire)
£100.95

**
97.9% of this part · £34.7m in 2025-26 · £68 per resident; similar councils £51 · up 60.8% on 2024-25
- Running the council
£2.19

**
2.1% of this part · £752k in 2025-26 · £1.46 per resident; similar councils £0.70 · down 93.1% on 2024-25









**Which councils count as similar**



Medians are across the 10 fire and rescue authorities closest in population: Shropshire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Cleveland Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Durham Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, North Wales Fire Authority, Bedfordshire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Hereford and Worcester Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority, East Sussex Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, North Yorkshire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Buckinghamshire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates.






- [Your bill](#d-bill)
- [Cumbria PCC-FRA](#d-fire)
- Fire and rescue





### Fire and rescue



£100.95 of your bill goes to fire and rescue at Cumbria PCC-FRA. Here is how its £34.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.


- Firefighting and rescue
£53.75

**
53.2% of this · £18.5m in 2025-26 · £36 per resident; similar councils £45 · up 26.8% on 2024-25
- Community fire safety
£47.20

**
46.8% of this · £16.2m in 2025-26 · £32 per resident; similar councils £4.02 · up 131.4% on 2024-25




















## Parks, street cleaning and roads here



What Cumberland 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 | £2.9m | £10 | £18 | — | — |
| Per resident£10Similar councils, per resident£18Per mile of road—Change— | | | | | |
| Street cleaningDetails | £3.7m | £13 | £14 | £1,623 (similar: £7,471) | — |
| Per resident£13Similar councils, per resident£14Per mile of road£1,623 (similar: £7,471)Change— | | | | | |
| Road and bridge maintenanceDetails | £4.3m | £15 | £11 | £1,896 (similar: £5,446) | — |
| Per resident£15Similar councils, per resident£11Per mile of road£1,896 (similar: £5,446)Change— | | | | | |
| Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges)Details | £4.3m | £15 | £2.53 | £1,896 (similar: £1,478) | — |
| Per resident£15Similar councils, per resident£2.53Per mile of road£1,896 (similar: £1,478)Change— | | | | | |
| Winter service (gritting)Details | £1.1m | £3.83 | £1.82 | £480 (similar: £986) | — |
| Per resident£3.83Similar councils, per resident£1.82Per mile of road£480 (similar: £986)Change— | | | | | |
| Street lighting (including energy)Details | £2.7m | £9.53 | £9.72 | £1,194 (similar: £5,138) | — |
| Per resident£9.53Similar councils, per resident£9.72Per mile of road£1,194 (similar: £5,138)Change— | | | | | |





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 | £557 | £718 |
| Median£718 | | |
| Children's social careDetails | £387 | £300 |
| Median£300 | | |
| Adult social careDetails | £370 | £483 |
| Median£483 | | |
| Running the councilDetails | £67 | £51 |
| Median£51 | | |
| Environment and regulationDetails | £58 | £111 |
| Median£111 | | |
| Public healthDetails | £45 | £65 |
| Median£65 | | |
| Roads and transportDetails | £42 | £49 |
| Median£49 | | |
| Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails | £39 | £38 |
| Median£38 | | |
| Housing (not council homes)Details | £32 | £34 |
| Median£34 | | |
| Planning and developmentDetails | £19 | £22 |
| Median£22 | | |
| Other servicesDetails | £16 | £9.20 |
| Median£9.20 | | |





- Cumberland spent **44.4%** of its gross service spending on its own staff in 2023-24 (median for unitary councils in England: 31.1%); the rest went on suppliers, contractors, grants, benefits and other running costs.








## 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 Cumberland](/council-tax/england/cumberland/) and [everything else about Cumberland](/your-area/cumberland/).





## Common questions


What does council tax pay for in Cumberland?
A Band D bill of £2,511.32 is split between Cumberland, Cumberland: adult social care precept, this year's increase, Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable, Cumbria PCC-FRA, Parish and town councils (average for the area). In proportion to spending, the largest line is children's social care, £737.89.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

- [Back to Cumberland: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/cumberland/)
- [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.