# Where your council tax goes in Merton url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/merton/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 Merton Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). A Band D council tax bill in **Merton** is **£2,146.76** for 2026-27, split between Merton £1,604.29, Merton: adult social care precept, this year's increase £31.96, Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade) £176.38, Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime £334.13. Shared out in proportion to what each body spends, the largest single line is adult social care at Merton: **£455.12** of the bill. Council tax pays for 18% 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 - £2,146.76Band D bill, 2026-27 As of 6 April 2026 - £1,604.29Goes to Merton itself (75%) As of 6 April 2026 - £455.12Largest line: adult social care As of 28 September 2026 - 17.9%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. 1604.29 31.96 176.38 334.13 Merton 75%Merton: adult social care precept, this year's increase 1%Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade) 8%Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime 16% ## 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 17.9%** of the money Merton had to spend in 2025-26. ************ - Council tax 17.9% £126.8m - Business rates 7.3% £51.3m - General government grant 0.9% £6.7m - Government grants for specific services 48.6% £343.4m - Fees, charges and other income 25.1% £177.6m - Taken from reserves 0.1% £393k 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: £2,146.76 - [Merton](#d-council) £1,604.29 ** Your council · 74.7% of the bill - [Merton: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) £31.96 ** Adult social care precept · 1.5% of the bill - [Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade)](#d-gla) £176.38 ** Greater London Authority · 8.2% of the bill - [Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime](#d-police) £334.13 ** Police · 15.6% of the bill - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Merton ### Merton £1,604.29 of your bill goes to Merton. It is shared out below in proportion to how Merton spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return. - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) £455.12 ** 28.4% of this part · £81.2m in 2025-26 · £371 per resident; similar councils £534 · up 8.0% on 2024-25 - [Education](#d-council~education) £405.99 ** 25.3% of this part · £275.5m in 2025-26 · £1,259 per resident; similar councils £985 · up 2.1% on 2024-25 - [Children's social care](#d-council~childrens-social-care) £306.67 ** 19.1% of this part · £54.7m in 2025-26 · £250 per resident; similar councils £332 · up 6.8% on 2024-25 - [Environment and regulation](#d-council~environment) £169.44 ** 10.6% of this part · £30.2m in 2025-26 · £138 per resident; similar councils £133 · up 33.7% on 2024-25 - [Housing (not council homes)](#d-council~housing) £118.92 ** 7.4% of this part · £21.2m in 2025-26 · £97 per resident; similar councils £172 · up 16.1% on 2024-25 Not council homes: [see the note](#d-council~housing). - [Running the council](#d-council~central) £85.56 ** 5.3% of this part · £15.3m in 2025-26 · £70 per resident; similar councils £63 · up 12.1% on 2024-25 - [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-council~culture-leisure) £44.26 ** 2.8% of this part · £7.9m in 2025-26 · £36 per resident; similar councils £44 · up 2.7% on 2024-25 - Other services £14.68 ** 0.9% of this part · £2.6m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £0.00 · up 1034.2% on 2024-25 - [Public health](#d-council~public-health) £3.63 ** 0.2% of this part · £13.2m in 2025-26 · £60 per resident; similar councils £119 · up 3.8% on 2024-25 Roads and transport brought in £438k more than it cost; Planning and development brought in £1.3m more than it cost in 2025-26, so they take no share of your bill. Before sharing out your bill, the part of education paid for by the Dedicated Schools Grant (£203.1m) and public health paid for by the public health grant (£12.6m) is taken off, because council tax does not pay for it. **Which councils count as similar** Medians are across the 10 London boroughs closest in population: Camden, Sutton, Islington, Westminster, Barking and Dagenham, Richmond upon Thames, Hammersmith and Fulham, Bexley, Haringey, Hackney. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - Adult social care ### Adult social care £455.12 of your bill goes to adult social care at Merton. Here is how its £81.2m of net spending on it divides in the return. - [Physical support](#d-council~adult-social-care.physical) £168.67 ** 37.1% of this · £30.1m in 2025-26 · £137 per resident; similar councils £172 · up 11.6% on 2024-25 - [Learning disability support](#d-council~adult-social-care.learning-disability) £131.26 ** 28.8% of this · £23.4m in 2025-26 · £107 per resident; similar councils £153 · up 0.4% on 2024-25 - [Mental health support](#d-council~adult-social-care.mental-health) £48.48 ** 10.7% of this · £8.7m in 2025-26 · £40 per resident; similar councils £57 · down 7.6% on 2024-25 - Care assessment and safeguarding £40.03 ** 8.8% of this · £7.1m in 2025-26 · £33 per resident; similar councils £57 · up 27.2% on 2024-25 - Commissioning, strategy and administration £21.83 ** 4.8% of this · £3.9m in 2025-26 · £18 per resident; similar councils £28 · up 306.6% on 2024-25 - [Support with memory and cognition](#d-council~adult-social-care.memory) £19.47 ** 4.3% of this · £3.5m in 2025-26 · £16 per resident; similar councils £20 · down 6.7% on 2024-25 - Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum) £12.66 ** 2.8% of this · £2.3m in 2025-26 · £10 per resident; similar councils £4.46 · down 10.7% on 2024-25 - Assistive equipment and technology £6.22 ** 1.4% of this · £1.1m in 2025-26 · £5.07 per resident; similar councils £5.80 · down 2.5% on 2024-25 - [Sensory support](#d-council~adult-social-care.sensory) £5.28 ** 1.2% of this · £943k in 2025-26 · £4.31 per resident; similar councils £2.15 · down 27.2% on 2024-25 - Information and early intervention £1.21 ** 0.3% of this · £216k in 2025-26 · £0.99 per resident; similar councils £1.63 · down 19.7% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Physical support ### Physical support £168.67 of your bill goes to physical support at Merton. Here is how its £30.1m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £129.24 ** 76.6% of this · £23.1m in 2025-26 · £105 per resident; similar councils £116 · up 3.7% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £39.43 ** 23.4% of this · £7.0m in 2025-26 · £32 per resident; similar councils £49 · up 48.1% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Learning disability support ### Learning disability support £131.26 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Merton. Here is how its £23.4m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £114.75 ** 87.4% of this · £20.5m in 2025-26 · £94 per resident; similar councils £130 · up 2.6% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £16.51 ** 12.6% of this · £2.9m in 2025-26 · £13 per resident; similar councils £15 · down 12.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Mental health support ### Mental health support £48.48 of your bill goes to mental health support at Merton. Here is how its £8.7m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £25.22 ** 52.0% of this · £4.5m in 2025-26 · £21 per resident; similar councils £39 · down 18.9% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £23.26 ** 48.0% of this · £4.2m in 2025-26 · £19 per resident; similar councils £15 · up 8.8% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Support with memory and cognition ### Support with memory and cognition £19.47 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Merton. Here is how its £3.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £18.51 ** 95.0% of this · £3.3m in 2025-26 · £15 per resident; similar councils £17 · down 9.5% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £0.96 ** 5.0% of this · £172k in 2025-26 · £0.79 per resident; similar councils £3.32 · up 129.3% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Sensory support ### Sensory support £5.28 of your bill goes to sensory support at Merton. Here is how its £943k of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £2.88 ** 54.5% of this · £514k in 2025-26 · £2.35 per resident; similar councils £1.10 · up 3.4% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £2.40 ** 45.5% of this · £429k in 2025-26 · £1.96 per resident; similar councils £0.78 · down 46.3% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - Education ### Education £405.99 of your bill goes to education at Merton. Here is how its £275.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Primary schools £137.98 ** 34.0% of this · £93.6m in 2025-26 · £428 per resident; similar councils £414 · up 2.3% on 2024-25 - Special schools and alternative provision £81.46 ** 20.1% of this · £55.3m in 2025-26 · £253 per resident; similar councils £129 · up 5.5% on 2024-25 - Secondary schools £67.33 ** 16.6% of this · £45.7m in 2025-26 · £209 per resident; similar councils £178 · down 13.3% on 2024-25 - Other education £56.10 ** 13.8% of this · £38.1m in 2025-26 · £174 per resident; similar councils £105 · down 4.4% on 2024-25 - Early years and nursery £47.67 ** 11.7% of this · £32.4m in 2025-26 · £148 per resident; similar councils £158 · up 42.4% on 2024-25 - Post-16 £15.44 ** 3.8% of this · £10.5m in 2025-26 · £48 per resident; similar councils £27 · down 2.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - Children's social care ### Children's social care £306.67 of your bill goes to children's social care at Merton. Here is how its £54.7m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Children looked after £98.66 ** 32.2% of this · £17.6m in 2025-26 · £80 per resident; similar councils £148 · down 5.9% on 2024-25 - Safeguarding and social work £59.83 ** 19.5% of this · £10.7m in 2025-26 · £49 per resident; similar councils £83 · up 4.1% on 2024-25 - Family support £47.44 ** 15.5% of this · £8.5m in 2025-26 · £39 per resident; similar councils £49 · down 14.8% on 2024-25 - Services for young people £34.50 ** 11.2% of this · £6.2m in 2025-26 · £28 per resident; similar councils £16 · up 99.6% on 2024-25 - Children's centres and early years £33.91 ** 11.1% of this · £6.1m in 2025-26 · £28 per resident; similar councils £3.51 · up 7.3% on 2024-25 - Other children's and families' services £23.29 ** 7.6% of this · £4.2m in 2025-26 · £19 per resident; similar councils £4.11 · up 54.5% on 2024-25 - Youth justice £5.18 ** 1.7% of this · £924k in 2025-26 · £4.22 per resident; similar councils £7.11 · down 3.6% on 2024-25 - Asylum-seeking children £3.87 ** 1.3% of this · £691k in 2025-26 · £3.16 per resident; similar councils £9.57 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - Environment and regulation ### Environment and regulation £169.44 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Merton. Here is how its £30.2m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Waste collection £47.70 ** 28.2% of this · £8.9m in 2025-26 · £41 per resident; similar councils £27 · up 24.0% on 2024-25 - Street cleaning £40.05 ** 23.6% of this · £7.4m in 2025-26 · £34 per resident; similar councils £45 · up 87.7% on 2024-25 - Waste disposal £37.46 ** 22.1% of this · £7.0m in 2025-26 · £32 per resident; similar councils £2.76 · up 8.0% on 2024-25 - Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing £19.56 ** 11.5% of this · £3.6m in 2025-26 · £17 per resident; similar councils £10 · up 36.1% on 2024-25 - Community safety and CCTV £17.05 ** 10.1% of this · £3.2m in 2025-26 · £14 per resident; similar councils £12 · up 52.4% on 2024-25 - Trading standards £7.31 ** 4.3% of this · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £6.21 per resident; similar councils £1.61 · down 9.8% on 2024-25 - Other environmental services £0.32 ** 0.2% of this · £59k in 2025-26 · £0.27 per resident; similar councils £2.70 · down 13.2% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - Housing (not council homes) ### Housing (not council homes) £118.92 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Merton. Here is how its £21.2m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Homelessness and temporary accommodation £68.56 ** 57.7% of this · £12.2m in 2025-26 · £56 per resident; similar councils £122 · up 18.3% on 2024-25 - Housing benefit administration and discretionary payments £27.42 ** 23.1% of this · £4.9m in 2025-26 · £22 per resident; similar councils £13 · up 6.1% on 2024-25 - Housing strategy, advice and enabling £15.01 ** 12.6% of this · £2.7m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £6.50 · up 26.3% on 2024-25 - Supporting People and welfare services £7.93 ** 6.7% of this · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £6.46 per resident; similar councils £14 · up 18.2% on 2024-25 **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. Merton reported no Housing Revenue Account for 2025-26: 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) - [Merton](#d-council) - Running the council ### Running the council £85.56 of your bill goes to running the council at Merton. Here is how its £15.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Corporate and democratic core £54.23 ** 63.4% of this · £9.8m in 2025-26 · £45 per resident; similar councils £24 · down 14.4% on 2024-25 - Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets) £12.42 ** 14.5% of this · £2.2m in 2025-26 · £10 per resident; similar councils £16 · down 23.0% on 2024-25 - Collecting council tax and business rates £8.03 ** 9.4% of this · £1.5m in 2025-26 · £6.64 per resident; similar councils £7.70 · down 35.7% on 2024-25 - Coroners' and other courts £4.17 ** 4.9% of this · £755k in 2025-26 · £3.45 per resident; similar councils £1.95 · up 2.3% on 2024-25 - Elections and electoral registration £3.50 ** 4.1% of this · £633k in 2025-26 · £2.89 per resident; similar councils £3.06 · down 19.3% on 2024-25 - Other central services £2.77 ** 3.2% of this · £501k in 2025-26 · £2.29 per resident; similar councils £-1.28 - Local welfare assistance £0.45 ** 0.5% of this · £81k in 2025-26 · £0.37 per resident; similar councils £2.40 · up 15.7% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - Parks, leisure, libraries and culture ### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture £44.26 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Merton. Here is how its £7.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Parks and open spaces (including play areas) £24.65 ** 55.7% of this · £4.4m in 2025-26 · £20 per resident; similar councils £20 · up 16.7% on 2024-25 - Libraries £17.14 ** 38.7% of this · £3.1m in 2025-26 · £14 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 12.4% on 2024-25 - Sport and leisure £2.14 ** 4.8% of this · £382k in 2025-26 · £1.75 per resident; similar councils £-0.79 · up 8.8% on 2024-25 - Museums, arts, heritage and archives £0.34 ** 0.8% of this · £61k in 2025-26 · £0.28 per resident; similar councils £4.71 · down 6.2% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton](#d-council) - Public health ### Public health £3.63 of your bill goes to public health at Merton. Here is how its £13.2m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Health visiting and children's 0-5 services £0.91 ** 24.9% of this · £3.3m in 2025-26 · £15 per resident; similar councils £26 · up 9.4% on 2024-25 - Sexual health £0.69 ** 19.1% of this · £2.5m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £25 · down 7.9% on 2024-25 - Drug and alcohol services £0.61 ** 16.8% of this · £2.2m in 2025-26 · £10 per resident; similar councils £25 · up 15.7% on 2024-25 - Other public health £0.48 ** 13.1% of this · £1.7m in 2025-26 · £7.92 per resident; similar councils £17 · up 1.1% on 2024-25 - Children's 5-19 programmes £0.34 ** 9.4% of this · £1.3m in 2025-26 · £5.72 per resident; similar councils £8.74 · up 4.8% on 2024-25 - NHS health checks and health protection £0.26 ** 7.2% of this · £949k in 2025-26 · £4.34 per resident; similar councils £3.86 · down 2.1% on 2024-25 - Obesity and physical activity £0.14 ** 3.8% of this · £503k in 2025-26 · £2.30 per resident; similar councils £3.94 · down 1.8% on 2024-25 - Stop smoking and tobacco control £0.12 ** 3.2% of this · £421k in 2025-26 · £1.92 per resident; similar councils £2.47 · up 6.9% on 2024-25 - Public mental health £0.09 ** 2.5% of this · £334k in 2025-26 · £1.53 per resident; similar councils £6.33 · up 14.4% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Merton: adult social care precept, this year's increase ### Merton: adult social care precept, this year's increase £31.96 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 Merton's adult social care spending of £81.2m 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) £11.84 ** 37.1% of this precept · £30.1m in 2025-26 · £137 per resident; similar councils £172 · up 11.6% on 2024-25 - [Learning disability support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.learning-disability) £9.22 ** 28.8% of this precept · £23.4m in 2025-26 · £107 per resident; similar councils £153 · up 0.4% on 2024-25 - [Mental health support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.mental-health) £3.40 ** 10.7% of this precept · £8.7m in 2025-26 · £40 per resident; similar councils £57 · down 7.6% on 2024-25 - Care assessment and safeguarding £2.81 ** 8.8% of this precept · £7.1m in 2025-26 · £33 per resident; similar councils £57 · up 27.2% on 2024-25 - Commissioning, strategy and administration £1.53 ** 4.8% of this precept · £3.9m in 2025-26 · £18 per resident; similar councils £28 · up 306.6% on 2024-25 - [Support with memory and cognition](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.memory) £1.37 ** 4.3% of this precept · £3.5m in 2025-26 · £16 per resident; similar councils £20 · down 6.7% on 2024-25 - Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum) £0.89 ** 2.8% of this precept · £2.3m in 2025-26 · £10 per resident; similar councils £4.46 · down 10.7% on 2024-25 - Assistive equipment and technology £0.44 ** 1.4% of this precept · £1.1m in 2025-26 · £5.07 per resident; similar councils £5.80 · down 2.5% on 2024-25 - [Sensory support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.sensory) £0.37 ** 1.2% of this precept · £943k in 2025-26 · £4.31 per resident; similar councils £2.15 · down 27.2% on 2024-25 - Information and early intervention £0.09 ** 0.3% of this precept · £216k in 2025-26 · £0.99 per resident; similar councils £1.63 · down 19.7% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Physical support ### Physical support £11.84 of your bill goes to physical support at Merton. Here is how its £30.1m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £9.08 ** 76.6% of this · £23.1m in 2025-26 · £105 per resident; similar councils £116 · up 3.7% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £2.77 ** 23.4% of this · £7.0m in 2025-26 · £32 per resident; similar councils £49 · up 48.1% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton: 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 Merton. Here is how its £23.4m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £8.06 ** 87.4% of this · £20.5m in 2025-26 · £94 per resident; similar councils £130 · up 2.6% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £1.16 ** 12.6% of this · £2.9m in 2025-26 · £13 per resident; similar councils £15 · down 12.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Mental health support ### Mental health support £3.40 of your bill goes to mental health support at Merton. Here is how its £8.7m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £1.77 ** 52.0% of this · £4.5m in 2025-26 · £21 per resident; similar councils £39 · down 18.9% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £1.63 ** 48.0% of this · £4.2m in 2025-26 · £19 per resident; similar councils £15 · up 8.8% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Support with memory and cognition ### Support with memory and cognition £1.37 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Merton. Here is how its £3.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £1.30 ** 95.0% of this · £3.3m in 2025-26 · £15 per resident; similar councils £17 · down 9.5% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £0.07 ** 5.0% of this · £172k in 2025-26 · £0.79 per resident; similar councils £3.32 · up 129.3% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Merton: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Sensory support ### Sensory support £0.37 of your bill goes to sensory support at Merton. Here is how its £943k of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £0.20 ** 54.5% of this · £514k in 2025-26 · £2.35 per resident; similar councils £1.10 · up 3.4% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £0.17 ** 45.5% of this · £429k in 2025-26 · £1.96 per resident; similar councils £0.78 · down 46.3% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade) ### Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade) £176.38 of your bill goes to Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade). It is shared out below in proportion to how Greater London Authority spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return. - [Roads and transport](#d-gla~highways-transport) £94.33 ** 53.5% of this part · £1.89bn in 2025-26 · £207 per resident · up 3.8% on 2024-25 - Education £29.29 ** 16.6% of this part · £586.9m in 2025-26 · £64 per resident · up 11.1% on 2024-25 - Fire and rescue £28.75 ** 16.3% of this part · £576.1m in 2025-26 · £63 per resident · up 4.2% on 2024-25 - [Planning and development](#d-gla~planning-development) £7.54 ** 4.3% of this part · £151.0m in 2025-26 · £17 per resident · down 3.5% on 2024-25 - [Environment and regulation](#d-gla~environment) £5.88 ** 3.3% of this part · £117.7m in 2025-26 · £13 per resident · down 7.7% on 2024-25 - [Housing (not council homes)](#d-gla~housing) £4.67 ** 2.6% of this part · £93.5m in 2025-26 · £10 per resident · up 41.7% on 2024-25 Not council homes: [see the note](#d-gla~housing). - [Running the council](#d-gla~central) £3.73 ** 2.1% of this part · £74.7m in 2025-26 · £8.18 per resident · down 51.2% on 2024-25 - [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-gla~culture-leisure) £1.52 ** 0.9% of this part · £30.5m in 2025-26 · £3.35 per resident · down 6.4% on 2024-25 - Children's social care £0.43 ** 0.2% of this part · £8.6m in 2025-26 · £0.95 per resident · down 45.2% on 2024-25 - Public health £0.25 ** 0.1% of this part · £5.0m in 2025-26 · £0.54 per resident No similar-council comparison: no comparison: no other body does the same mix of things. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade)](#d-gla) - Roads and transport ### Roads and transport £94.33 of your bill goes to roads and transport at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £1.89bn of net spending on it divides in the return. - Support for bus, rail and other public transport £86.70 ** 91.9% of this · £2.12bn in 2025-26 · £233 per resident · up 7.1% on 2024-25 - [Road and bridge maintenance](#d-gla~highways-transport.maintenance) £6.08 ** 6.4% of this · £148.9m in 2025-26 · £16 per resident · up 13.6% on 2024-25 - Transport planning and policy £0.99 ** 1.1% of this · £24.3m in 2025-26 · £2.67 per resident · down 51.1% on 2024-25 - Street lighting (including energy) £0.55 ** 0.6% of this · £13.4m in 2025-26 · £1.47 per resident · down 8.8% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade)](#d-gla) - [Roads and transport](#d-gla~highways-transport) - Road and bridge maintenance ### Road and bridge maintenance £6.08 of your bill goes to road and bridge maintenance at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £148.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges) £4.34 ** 71.4% of this · £106.3m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident · up 12.9% on 2024-25 - Environmental, safety and routine maintenance £1.74 ** 28.6% of this · £42.6m in 2025-26 · £4.67 per resident · up 15.4% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade)](#d-gla) - Planning and development ### Planning and development £7.54 of your bill goes to planning and development at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £151.0m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Economic development and business support £4.27 ** 56.7% of this · £85.6m in 2025-26 · £9.39 per resident · down 15.0% on 2024-25 - Environmental initiatives £1.21 ** 16.1% of this · £24.3m in 2025-26 · £2.67 per resident · down 3.7% on 2024-25 - Community development £0.88 ** 11.7% of this · £17.7m in 2025-26 · £1.94 per resident · up 42.1% on 2024-25 - Planning policy £0.66 ** 8.7% of this · £13.1m in 2025-26 · £1.44 per resident · up 37.2% on 2024-25 - Planning applications (development management) £0.51 ** 6.7% of this · £10.2m in 2025-26 · £1.12 per resident · up 21.6% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade)](#d-gla) - Environment and regulation ### Environment and regulation £5.88 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £117.7m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Community safety and CCTV £5.22 ** 88.8% of this · £104.5m in 2025-26 · £11 per resident · down 3.3% on 2024-25 - Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing £0.65 ** 11.1% of this · £13.1m in 2025-26 · £1.43 per resident · down 32.7% on 2024-25 - Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection £0.01 ** 0.1% of this · £139k in 2025-26 · £0.02 per resident · up 75.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade)](#d-gla) - Housing (not council homes) ### Housing (not council homes) £4.67 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £93.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Housing strategy, advice and enabling £2.26 ** 48.4% of this · £45.2m in 2025-26 · £4.96 per resident · up 61.6% on 2024-25 - Homelessness and temporary accommodation £1.21 ** 25.9% of this · £24.2m in 2025-26 · £2.65 per resident · up 9.6% on 2024-25 - Supporting People and welfare services £1.20 ** 25.8% of this · £24.1m in 2025-26 · £2.64 per resident · up 51.5% on 2024-25 **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. Greater London Authority reported no Housing Revenue Account for 2025-26: 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) - [Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade)](#d-gla) - Running the council ### Running the council £3.73 of your bill goes to running the council at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £74.7m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Corporate and democratic core £3.09 ** 82.9% of this · £61.9m in 2025-26 · £6.79 per resident · up 33.4% on 2024-25 - Collecting council tax and business rates £0.64 ** 17.1% of this · £12.7m in 2025-26 · £1.40 per resident - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade)](#d-gla) - Parks, leisure, libraries and culture ### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture £1.52 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Greater London Authority. Here is how its £30.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Museums, arts, heritage and archives £1.03 ** 67.8% of this · £20.7m in 2025-26 · £2.27 per resident · down 20.3% on 2024-25 - Sport and leisure £0.49 ** 32.2% of this · £9.8m in 2025-26 · £1.08 per resident · up 48.2% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime ### Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime £334.13 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 Greater London Authority's adult social care spending of £4.53bn 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. ## Parks, street cleaning and roads here What Merton 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 | £4.4m | £20 | £20 | — | up 16.7% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£20Similar councils, per resident£20Per mile of road—Changeup 16.7% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Street cleaningDetails | £7.4m | £34 | £45 | £31,961 (similar: £65,252) | up 87.7% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£34Similar councils, per resident£45Per mile of road£31,961 (similar: £65,252)Changeup 87.7% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Road and bridge maintenanceDetails | £4.2m | £19 | £12 | £18,167 (similar: £12,659) | up 6.0% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£19Similar councils, per resident£12Per mile of road£18,167 (similar: £12,659)Changeup 6.0% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Environmental, safety and routine maintenanceDetails | £3.5m | £16 | £11 | £15,116 (similar: £13,707) | up 30.9% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£16Similar councils, per resident£11Per mile of road£15,116 (similar: £13,707)Changeup 30.9% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges)Details | £711k | £3.25 | £4.00 | £3,052 (similar: £4,507) | down 45.4% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£3.25Similar councils, per resident£4.00Per mile of road£3,052 (similar: £4,507)Changedown 45.4% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Winter service (gritting)Details | £296k | £1.35 | £0.77 | £1,270 (similar: £1,069) | up 348.5% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£1.35Similar councils, per resident£0.77Per mile of road£1,270 (similar: £1,069)Changeup 348.5% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Street lighting (including energy)Details | £758k | £3.46 | £4.93 | £3,253 (similar: £5,814) | down 11.6% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£3.46Similar councils, per resident£4.93Per mile of road£3,253 (similar: £5,814)Changedown 11.6% 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 | £1,259 | £952 | | Median£952 | | | | Adult social careDetails | £371 | £443 | | Median£443 | | | | Children's social careDetails | £250 | £306 | | Median£306 | | | | Environment and regulationDetails | £138 | £104 | | Median£104 | | | | Housing (not council homes)Details | £97 | £149 | | Median£149 | | | | Running the councilDetails | £70 | £67 | | Median£67 | | | | Public healthDetails | £60 | £89 | | Median£89 | | | | Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails | £36 | £40 | | Median£40 | | | | Other servicesDetails | £12 | £17 | | Median£17 | | | | Roads and transportDetails | £-2.00 | £1.42 | | Median£1.42 | | | | Planning and developmentDetails | £-5.86 | £24 | | Median£24 | | | - Merton spent **41.9%** of its gross service spending on its own staff in 2025-26 (median for London boroughs: 33.2%); 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 Merton](/council-tax/england/merton/) and [everything else about Merton](/your-area/merton/). ## Common questions What does council tax pay for in Merton? A Band D bill of £2,146.76 is split between Merton, Merton: adult social care precept, this year's increase, Greater London Authority (Mayor, TfL, London Fire Brigade), Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime. In proportion to spending, the largest line is adult social care, £455.12.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 Merton](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/parking/merton/) - [Back to Merton: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/merton/) - [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.