# Where your council tax goes in Oldham url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/oldham/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 Oldham Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). A Band D council tax bill in **Oldham** is **£2,602.23** for 2026-27, split between Oldham £2,115.15, Oldham: adult social care precept, this year's increase £41.07, Greater Manchester Police £285.30, Greater Manchester Combined Authority £153.95, Parish and town councils (average for the area) £6.76. Shared out in proportion to what each body spends, the largest single line is adult social care at Oldham: **£636.01** of the bill. Council tax pays for 17% 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 - £2,602.23Band D bill, 2026-27 As of 6 April 2026 - £2,115.15Goes to Oldham itself (81%) As of 6 April 2026 - £636.01Largest line: adult social care As of 28 September 2026 - 16.8%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. 2115.15 41.07 285.30 153.95 6.76 Oldham 81%Oldham: adult social care precept, this year's increase 2%Greater Manchester Police 11%Greater Manchester Combined Authority 6%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 16.8%** of the money Oldham had to spend in 2025-26. ******** - Council tax 16.8% £122.2m - Business rates 18.6% £135.4m - Government grants for specific services 43.8% £319.0m - Fees, charges and other income 20.9% £152.3m It also put £4.7m 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: £2,602.23 - [Oldham](#d-council) £2,115.15 ** Your council · 81.3% of the bill - [Oldham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) £41.07 ** Adult social care precept · 1.6% of the bill - [Greater Manchester Police](#d-police) £285.30 ** Police · 11.0% of the bill - [Greater Manchester Combined Authority](#d-combined) £153.95 ** Combined authority (mayor) · 5.9% of the bill - Parish and town councils (average for the area) £6.76 ** Parish or town council · 0.3% 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) - Oldham ### Oldham £2,115.15 of your bill goes to Oldham. It is shared out below in proportion to how Oldham spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return. - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) £636.01 ** 30.1% of this part · £99.3m in 2025-26 · £394 per resident; similar councils £481 · down 5.2% on 2024-25 - [Children's social care](#d-council~childrens-social-care) £584.16 ** 27.6% of this part · £91.2m in 2025-26 · £362 per resident; similar councils £349 · up 5.8% on 2024-25 - [Education](#d-council~education) £263.97 ** 12.5% of this part · £205.6m in 2025-26 · £816 per resident; similar councils £755 · down 10.6% on 2024-25 - [Running the council](#d-council~central) £141.36 ** 6.7% of this part · £22.1m in 2025-26 · £88 per resident; similar councils £62 · down 8.6% on 2024-25 - [Public health](#d-council~public-health) £136.82 ** 6.5% of this part · £21.5m in 2025-26 · £85 per resident; similar councils £92 · up 8.6% on 2024-25 - [Parks, leisure, libraries and culture](#d-council~culture-leisure) £100.01 ** 4.7% of this part · £15.6m in 2025-26 · £62 per resident; similar councils £44 · down 2.4% on 2024-25 - [Environment and regulation](#d-council~environment) £88.83 ** 4.2% of this part · £13.9m in 2025-26 · £55 per resident; similar councils £91 · down 4.6% on 2024-25 - [Housing (not council homes)](#d-council~housing) £78.02 ** 3.7% of this part · £12.2m in 2025-26 · £48 per resident; similar councils £35 · down 13.5% on 2024-25 Not council homes: [see the note](#d-council~housing). - [Roads and transport](#d-council~highways-transport) £55.01 ** 2.6% of this part · £8.6m in 2025-26 · £34 per resident; similar councils £31 · down 13.8% on 2024-25 - [Planning and development](#d-council~planning-development) £30.95 ** 1.5% of this part · £4.8m in 2025-26 · £19 per resident; similar councils £25 · down 26.3% on 2024-25 Before sharing out your bill, the part of education paid for by the Dedicated Schools Grant (£164.4m) and public health paid for by the public health grant (£125k) 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: Barnsley, Barnsley, Trafford, Tameside, Rochdale, Rotherham, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Sunderland, Sefton. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - Adult social care ### Adult social care £636.01 of your bill goes to adult social care at Oldham. Here is how its £99.3m of net spending on it divides in the return. - [Learning disability support](#d-council~adult-social-care.learning-disability) £216.94 ** 34.1% of this · £33.9m in 2025-26 · £134 per resident; similar councils £161 · up 0.2% on 2024-25 - [Physical support](#d-council~adult-social-care.physical) £202.57 ** 31.8% of this · £31.6m in 2025-26 · £126 per resident; similar councils £143 · down 14.6% on 2024-25 - Care assessment and safeguarding £91.02 ** 14.3% of this · £14.2m in 2025-26 · £56 per resident; similar councils £49 · up 1.0% on 2024-25 - [Mental health support](#d-council~adult-social-care.mental-health) £88.95 ** 14.0% of this · £13.9m in 2025-26 · £55 per resident; similar councils £52 · up 6.7% on 2024-25 - [Support with memory and cognition](#d-council~adult-social-care.memory) £15.39 ** 2.4% of this · £2.4m in 2025-26 · £9.53 per resident; similar councils £35 · up 5.4% on 2024-25 - Assistive equipment and technology £9.10 ** 1.4% of this · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £5.64 per resident; similar councils £2.28 · up 3.0% on 2024-25 - Commissioning, strategy and administration £7.38 ** 1.2% of this · £1.2m in 2025-26 · £4.57 per resident; similar councils £19 · down 51.8% on 2024-25 - [Sensory support](#d-council~adult-social-care.sensory) £2.43 ** 0.4% of this · £380k in 2025-26 · £1.51 per resident; similar councils £1.30 · up 1.6% on 2024-25 - Information and early intervention £2.24 ** 0.4% of this · £350k in 2025-26 · £1.39 per resident; similar councils £2.98 · down 12.3% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Learning disability support ### Learning disability support £216.94 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Oldham. Here is how its £33.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £197.15 ** 90.9% of this · £30.8m in 2025-26 · £122 per resident; similar councils £139 · up 1.4% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £19.79 ** 9.1% of this · £3.1m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 10.1% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Physical support ### Physical support £202.57 of your bill goes to physical support at Oldham. Here is how its £31.6m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £151.09 ** 74.6% of this · £23.6m in 2025-26 · £94 per resident; similar councils £101 · down 19.7% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £51.47 ** 25.4% of this · £8.0m in 2025-26 · £32 per resident; similar councils £36 · up 4.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Mental health support ### Mental health support £88.95 of your bill goes to mental health support at Oldham. Here is how its £13.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £54.18 ** 60.9% of this · £8.5m in 2025-26 · £34 per resident; similar councils £15 · up 8.8% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £34.77 ** 39.1% of this · £5.4m in 2025-26 · £22 per resident; similar councils £36 · up 3.4% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Support with memory and cognition ### Support with memory and cognition £15.39 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Oldham. Here is how its £2.4m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £10.79 ** 70.1% of this · £1.7m in 2025-26 · £6.68 per resident; similar councils £31 · up 5.5% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £4.60 ** 29.9% of this · £718k in 2025-26 · £2.85 per resident; similar councils £4.18 · up 5.0% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - [Adult social care](#d-council~adult-social-care) - Sensory support ### Sensory support £2.43 of your bill goes to sensory support at Oldham. Here is how its £380k of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £1.22 ** 50.3% of this · £191k in 2025-26 · £0.76 per resident; similar councils £0.97 · up 2.1% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £1.21 ** 49.7% of this · £189k in 2025-26 · £0.75 per resident; similar councils £0.60 · up 1.1% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - Children's social care ### Children's social care £584.16 of your bill goes to children's social care at Oldham. Here is how its £91.2m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Children looked after £342.72 ** 58.7% of this · £53.5m in 2025-26 · £212 per resident; similar councils £201 · up 6.5% on 2024-25 - Safeguarding and social work £146.27 ** 25.0% of this · £22.8m in 2025-26 · £91 per resident; similar councils £76 · down 4.8% on 2024-25 - Family support £74.83 ** 12.8% of this · £11.7m in 2025-26 · £46 per resident; similar councils £39 · up 28.3% on 2024-25 - Services for young people £12.78 ** 2.2% of this · £2.0m in 2025-26 · £7.92 per resident; similar councils £7.19 · down 10.9% on 2024-25 - Children's centres and early years £5.87 ** 1.0% of this · £916k in 2025-26 · £3.64 per resident; similar councils £9.86 · up 158.8% on 2024-25 - Other children's and families' services £1.13 ** 0.2% of this · £176k in 2025-26 · £0.70 per resident; similar councils £0.42 - Youth justice £0.56 ** under 0.1% of this · £87k in 2025-26 · £0.35 per resident; similar councils £5.06 · up 35.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - Education ### Education £263.97 of your bill goes to education at Oldham. Here is how its £205.6m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Primary schools £120.27 ** 45.6% of this · £93.7m in 2025-26 · £372 per resident; similar councils £240 · down 9.1% on 2024-25 - Early years and nursery £51.07 ** 19.3% of this · £39.8m in 2025-26 · £158 per resident; similar councils £141 · up 39.9% on 2024-25 - Special schools and alternative provision £42.55 ** 16.1% of this · £33.1m in 2025-26 · £132 per resident; similar councils £151 · up 11.2% on 2024-25 - Other education £29.47 ** 11.2% of this · £23.0m in 2025-26 · £91 per resident; similar councils £76 · up 1.2% on 2024-25 - Secondary schools £12.88 ** 4.9% of this · £10.0m in 2025-26 · £40 per resident; similar councils £95 · down 75.4% on 2024-25 - Post-16 £7.73 ** 2.9% of this · £6.0m in 2025-26 · £24 per resident; similar councils £20 · up 17.3% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - Running the council ### Running the council £141.36 of your bill goes to running the council at Oldham. Here is how its £22.1m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Corporate and democratic core £93.80 ** 66.4% of this · £14.8m in 2025-26 · £59 per resident; similar councils £20 · up 31.7% on 2024-25 - Local welfare assistance £28.52 ** 20.2% of this · £4.5m in 2025-26 · £18 per resident; similar councils £13 · down 12.5% on 2024-25 - Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets) £10.12 ** 7.2% of this · £1.6m in 2025-26 · £6.36 per resident; similar councils £6.85 · down 54.7% on 2024-25 - Coroners' and other courts £5.90 ** 4.2% of this · £934k in 2025-26 · £3.71 per resident; similar councils £3.39 · down 19.6% on 2024-25 - Elections and electoral registration £2.05 ** 1.4% of this · £324k in 2025-26 · £1.29 per resident; similar councils £2.13 · down 60.9% on 2024-25 - Emergency planning £0.86 ** 0.6% of this · £136k in 2025-26 · £0.54 per resident; similar councils £0.63 · up 41.7% on 2024-25 - Registering births, deaths and marriages £0.11 ** under 0.1% of this · £17k in 2025-26 · £0.07 per resident; similar councils £0.06 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - Public health ### Public health £136.82 of your bill goes to public health at Oldham. Here is how its £21.5m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Health visiting and children's 0-5 services £37.09 ** 27.1% of this · £5.8m in 2025-26 · £23 per resident; similar councils £20 · down 0.1% on 2024-25 - Drug and alcohol services £32.91 ** 24.1% of this · £5.2m in 2025-26 · £21 per resident; similar councils £25 · up 10.8% on 2024-25 - Other public health £27.93 ** 20.4% of this · £4.4m in 2025-26 · £17 per resident; similar councils £15 · up 87.7% on 2024-25 - Sexual health £12.51 ** 9.1% of this · £2.0m in 2025-26 · £7.80 per resident; similar councils £9.68 · up 8.8% on 2024-25 - Children's 5-19 programmes £10.02 ** 7.3% of this · £1.6m in 2025-26 · £6.25 per resident; similar councils £8.00 · down 16.3% on 2024-25 - Obesity and physical activity £5.41 ** 4.0% of this · £850k in 2025-26 · £3.37 per resident; similar councils £4.84 · down 20.4% on 2024-25 - Stop smoking and tobacco control £5.05 ** 3.7% of this · £793k in 2025-26 · £3.15 per resident; similar councils £3.46 · up 19.4% on 2024-25 - NHS health checks and health protection £4.24 ** 3.1% of this · £666k in 2025-26 · £2.64 per resident; similar councils £4.02 · down 26.4% on 2024-25 - Public mental health £1.66 ** 1.2% of this · £260k in 2025-26 · £1.03 per resident; similar councils £1.69 · down 58.3% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - Parks, leisure, libraries and culture ### Parks, leisure, libraries and culture £100.01 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Oldham. Here is how its £15.6m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Parks and open spaces (including play areas) £38.29 ** 38.3% of this · £6.0m in 2025-26 · £24 per resident; similar councils £14 · down 5.9% on 2024-25 - Libraries £30.25 ** 30.2% of this · £4.7m in 2025-26 · £19 per resident; similar councils £10 · up 0.6% on 2024-25 - Sport and leisure £15.74 ** 15.7% of this · £2.5m in 2025-26 · £9.75 per resident; similar councils £3.97 · down 2.3% on 2024-25 - Museums, arts, heritage and archives £15.73 ** 15.7% of this · £2.5m in 2025-26 · £9.75 per resident; similar councils £11 · up 0.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - Environment and regulation ### Environment and regulation £88.83 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Oldham. Here is how its £13.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Recycling and waste minimisation £35.08 ** 39.5% of this · £5.5m in 2025-26 · £22 per resident; similar councils £17 · up 5.3% on 2024-25 - Street cleaning £24.77 ** 27.9% of this · £3.9m in 2025-26 · £15 per resident; similar councils £16 · down 0.5% on 2024-25 - Waste collection £15.06 ** 17.0% of this · £2.4m in 2025-26 · £9.34 per resident; similar councils £19 · down 10.1% on 2024-25 - Community safety and CCTV £6.40 ** 7.2% of this · £1.0m in 2025-26 · £3.97 per resident; similar councils £5.64 · down 7.1% on 2024-25 - Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing £6.14 ** 6.9% of this · £959k in 2025-26 · £3.81 per resident; similar councils £8.38 · down 27.7% on 2024-25 - Waste disposal £0.66 ** 0.7% of this · £103k in 2025-26 · £0.41 per resident; similar councils £24 · down 8.0% on 2024-25 - Trading standards £0.58 ** 0.7% of this · £91k in 2025-26 · £0.36 per resident; similar councils £1.59 · down 68.6% on 2024-25 - Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection £0.13 ** 0.2% of this · £21k in 2025-26 · £0.08 per resident; similar councils £2.40 · no change on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - Housing (not council homes) ### Housing (not council homes) £78.02 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Oldham. Here is how its £12.2m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Homelessness and temporary accommodation £52.35 ** 67.1% of this · £8.2m in 2025-26 · £32 per resident; similar councils £14 · down 15.7% on 2024-25 - Housing benefit administration and discretionary payments £23.97 ** 30.7% of this · £3.7m in 2025-26 · £15 per resident; similar councils £7.33 · down 3.5% on 2024-25 - Housing strategy, advice and enabling £1.70 ** 2.2% of this · £266k in 2025-26 · £1.06 per resident; similar councils £1.22 · down 48.5% 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. Oldham's Housing Revenue Account took in £31.4m and spent £34.1m in 2025-26. [What council tax does and doesn't pay for](/what-council-tax-pays-for/#ring-fence). - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - Roads and transport ### Roads and transport £55.01 of your bill goes to roads and transport at Oldham. Here is how its £8.6m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Street lighting (including energy) £32.32 ** 58.8% of this · £5.5m in 2025-26 · £22 per resident; similar councils £8.65 · up 0.2% on 2024-25 - Transport planning and policy £9.44 ** 17.2% of this · £1.6m in 2025-26 · £6.37 per resident; similar councils £1.09 · down 24.3% on 2024-25 - [Road and bridge maintenance](#d-council~highways-transport.maintenance) £8.06 ** 14.6% of this · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £5.43 per resident; similar councils £12 · down 18.7% on 2024-25 - Winter service (gritting) £5.19 ** 9.4% of this · £881k in 2025-26 · £3.50 per resident; similar councils £3.02 · down 8.1% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - [Roads and transport](#d-council~highways-transport) - Road and bridge maintenance ### Road and bridge maintenance £8.06 of your bill goes to road and bridge maintenance at Oldham. Here is how its £1.4m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Environmental, safety and routine maintenance £5.41 ** 67.1% of this · £918k in 2025-26 · £3.64 per resident; similar councils £3.16 · down 19.4% on 2024-25 - Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges) £2.65 ** 32.9% of this · £450k in 2025-26 · £1.79 per resident; similar councils £2.47 · down 17.1% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham](#d-council) - Planning and development ### Planning and development £30.95 of your bill goes to planning and development at Oldham. Here is how its £4.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Economic development and business support £17.80 ** 57.5% of this · £3.0m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £11 · down 18.0% on 2024-25 - Community development £10.99 ** 35.5% of this · £1.8m in 2025-26 · £7.32 per resident; similar councils £5.95 · down 30.8% on 2024-25 - Planning policy £2.16 ** 7.0% of this · £363k in 2025-26 · £1.44 per resident; similar councils £2.66 · up 19.8% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Oldham: adult social care precept, this year's increase ### Oldham: adult social care precept, this year's increase £41.07 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 Oldham's adult social care spending of £99.3m 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. - [Learning disability support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.learning-disability) £14.01 ** 34.1% of this precept · £33.9m in 2025-26 · £134 per resident; similar councils £161 · up 0.2% on 2024-25 - [Physical support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.physical) £13.08 ** 31.8% of this precept · £31.6m in 2025-26 · £126 per resident; similar councils £143 · down 14.6% on 2024-25 - Care assessment and safeguarding £5.88 ** 14.3% of this precept · £14.2m in 2025-26 · £56 per resident; similar councils £49 · up 1.0% on 2024-25 - [Mental health support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.mental-health) £5.74 ** 14.0% of this precept · £13.9m in 2025-26 · £55 per resident; similar councils £52 · up 6.7% on 2024-25 - [Support with memory and cognition](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.memory) £0.99 ** 2.4% of this precept · £2.4m in 2025-26 · £9.53 per resident; similar councils £35 · up 5.4% on 2024-25 - Assistive equipment and technology £0.59 ** 1.4% of this precept · £1.4m in 2025-26 · £5.64 per resident; similar councils £2.28 · up 3.0% on 2024-25 - Commissioning, strategy and administration £0.48 ** 1.2% of this precept · £1.2m in 2025-26 · £4.57 per resident; similar councils £19 · down 51.8% on 2024-25 - [Sensory support](#d-adult-social-care~adult-social-care.sensory) £0.16 ** 0.4% of this precept · £380k in 2025-26 · £1.51 per resident; similar councils £1.30 · up 1.6% on 2024-25 - Information and early intervention £0.14 ** 0.4% of this precept · £350k in 2025-26 · £1.39 per resident; similar councils £2.98 · down 12.3% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Learning disability support ### Learning disability support £14.01 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Oldham. Here is how its £33.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 18 to 64 £12.73 ** 90.9% of this · £30.8m in 2025-26 · £122 per resident; similar councils £139 · up 1.4% on 2024-25 - Aged 65 and over £1.28 ** 9.1% of this · £3.1m in 2025-26 · £12 per resident; similar councils £21 · down 10.1% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Physical support ### Physical support £13.08 of your bill goes to physical support at Oldham. Here is how its £31.6m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £9.76 ** 74.6% of this · £23.6m in 2025-26 · £94 per resident; similar councils £101 · down 19.7% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £3.32 ** 25.4% of this · £8.0m in 2025-26 · £32 per resident; similar councils £36 · up 4.9% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Mental health support ### Mental health support £5.74 of your bill goes to mental health support at Oldham. Here is how its £13.9m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £3.50 ** 60.9% of this · £8.5m in 2025-26 · £34 per resident; similar councils £15 · up 8.8% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £2.25 ** 39.1% of this · £5.4m in 2025-26 · £22 per resident; similar councils £36 · up 3.4% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Support with memory and cognition ### Support with memory and cognition £0.99 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Oldham. Here is how its £2.4m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £0.70 ** 70.1% of this · £1.7m in 2025-26 · £6.68 per resident; similar councils £31 · up 5.5% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £0.30 ** 29.9% of this · £718k in 2025-26 · £2.85 per resident; similar councils £4.18 · up 5.0% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Oldham: adult social care precept, this year's increase](#d-adult-social-care) - Sensory support ### Sensory support £0.16 of your bill goes to sensory support at Oldham. Here is how its £380k of net spending on it divides in the return. - Aged 65 and over £0.08 ** 50.3% of this · £191k in 2025-26 · £0.76 per resident; similar councils £0.97 · up 2.1% on 2024-25 - Aged 18 to 64 £0.08 ** 49.7% of this · £189k in 2025-26 · £0.75 per resident; similar councils £0.60 · up 1.1% on 2024-25 - [Your bill](#d-bill) - Greater Manchester Police ### Greater Manchester Police £285.30 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 Manchester Police's adult social care spending of £974.0m 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) - Greater Manchester Combined Authority ### Greater Manchester Combined Authority £153.95 of your bill goes to Greater Manchester Combined Authority. It is shared out below in proportion to how Greater Manchester Combined Authority spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return. - Roads and transport £64.37 ** 41.8% of this part · £377.3m in 2025-26 · £125 per resident · up 9.4% on 2024-25 - [Planning and development](#d-combined~planning-development) £38.36 ** 24.9% of this part · £224.8m in 2025-26 · £75 per resident · up 2.8% on 2024-25 - Fire and rescue £25.78 ** 16.7% of this part · £151.1m in 2025-26 · £50 per resident · up 6.5% on 2024-25 - Environment and regulation £19.68 ** 12.8% of this part · £115.4m in 2025-26 · £38 per resident · up 4.7% on 2024-25 - Running the council £2.74 ** 1.8% of this part · £16.0m in 2025-26 · £5.31 per resident · down 54.0% on 2024-25 - Housing (not council homes) £2.17 ** 1.4% of this part · £12.7m in 2025-26 · £4.21 per resident · up 83.9% on 2024-25 Not council homes: [see the note](#d-combined). - Parks, leisure, libraries and culture £0.85 ** 0.5% of this part · £5.0m in 2025-26 · £1.64 per resident · up 10.3% 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 Manchester Combined 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). No similar-council comparison: no comparison: no other body does the same mix of things. - [Your bill](#d-bill) - [Greater Manchester Combined Authority](#d-combined) - Planning and development ### Planning and development £38.36 of your bill goes to planning and development at Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Here is how its £224.8m of net spending on it divides in the return. - Economic development and business support £37.64 ** 98.1% of this · £220.6m in 2025-26 · £73 per resident · up 1.8% on 2024-25 - Environmental initiatives £0.72 ** 1.9% of this · £4.2m in 2025-26 · £1.40 per resident · up 99.6% on 2024-25 ## Parks, street cleaning and roads here What Oldham 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 | £6.0m | £24 | £14 | — | down 5.9% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£24Similar councils, per resident£14Per mile of road—Changedown 5.9% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Street cleaningDetails | £3.9m | £15 | £16 | £7,568 (similar: £6,677) | down 0.5% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£15Similar councils, per resident£16Per mile of road£7,568 (similar: £6,677)Changedown 0.5% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Road and bridge maintenanceDetails | £1.4m | £5.43 | £12 | £2,677 (similar: £6,326) | down 18.7% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£5.43Similar councils, per resident£12Per mile of road£2,677 (similar: £6,326)Changedown 18.7% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Environmental, safety and routine maintenanceDetails | £918k | £3.64 | £3.41 | £1,796 (similar: £2,523) | down 19.4% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£3.64Similar councils, per resident£3.41Per mile of road£1,796 (similar: £2,523)Changedown 19.4% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges)Details | £450k | £1.79 | £2.47 | £881 (similar: £1,147) | down 17.1% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£1.79Similar councils, per resident£2.47Per mile of road£881 (similar: £1,147)Changedown 17.1% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Winter service (gritting)Details | £881k | £3.50 | £3.02 | £1,724 (similar: £1,312) | down 8.1% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£3.50Similar councils, per resident£3.02Per mile of road£1,724 (similar: £1,312)Changedown 8.1% on 2024-25 | | | | | | | Street lighting (including energy)Details | £5.5m | £22 | £8.65 | £10,742 (similar: £4,707) | up 0.2% on 2024-25 | | Per resident£22Similar councils, per resident£8.65Per mile of road£10,742 (similar: £4,707)Changeup 0.2% 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 | £816 | £872 | | Median£872 | | | | Adult social careDetails | £394 | £482 | | Median£482 | | | | Children's social careDetails | £362 | £337 | | Median£337 | | | | Running the councilDetails | £88 | £59 | | Median£59 | | | | Public healthDetails | £85 | £93 | | Median£93 | | | | Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails | £62 | £49 | | Median£49 | | | | Environment and regulationDetails | £55 | £93 | | Median£93 | | | | Housing (not council homes)Details | £48 | £39 | | Median£39 | | | | Roads and transportDetails | £34 | £29 | | Median£29 | | | | Planning and developmentDetails | £19 | £29 | | Median£29 | | | - Oldham spent **31.9%** 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. ## 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 Oldham](/council-tax/england/oldham/) and [everything else about Oldham](/your-area/oldham/). ## Common questions What does council tax pay for in Oldham? A Band D bill of £2,602.23 is split between Oldham, Oldham: adult social care precept, this year's increase, Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Parish and town councils (average for the area). In proportion to spending, the largest line is adult social care, £636.01.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 Oldham](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/parking/oldham/) - [Back to Oldham: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/oldham/) - [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.