# Council tax in Stoke-on-Trent

url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/stoke-on-trent/
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)

# Council tax in Stoke-on-Trent



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





Council tax in **Stoke-on-Trent** for 2026-27 is **£2,183 a year for a Band D home**, £1,455 for Band A and £4,366 for the top band. That is £228 below the England average of £2,411. It ranks 274 of 296 billing areas in England. Figures are the council's own set rates.



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



- £2,183Band D a year, 2026-27

▲
As of 6 April 2026
- £1,455Band A, the lowest


As of 6 April 2026
- −£228Band D against the England average of £2,411

Below average
As of 6 April 2026
- 274 of 296Rank in England, highest first


As of 6 April 2026




Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics).






## What is the bill for each band?




£2,183
Band D, Stoke-on-Trent, 2026-27







| Band | A year | A month |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Band ADetails | £1,455.41 | £121.28 |
| A month£121.28 | | |
| Band BDetails | £1,697.98 | £141.50 |
| A month£141.50 | | |
| Band CDetails | £1,940.55 | £161.71 |
| A month£161.71 | | |
| Band DDetails | £2,183.12 | £181.93 |
| A month£181.93 | | |
| Band EDetails | £2,668.26 | £222.36 |
| A month£222.36 | | |
| Band FDetails | £3,153.40 | £262.78 |
| A month£262.78 | | |
| Band GDetails | £3,638.53 | £303.21 |
| A month£303.21 | | |
| Band HDetails | £4,366.24 | £363.85 |
| A month£363.85 | | |






### What does this mean for you?



Choose your band to see your bill in Stoke-on-Trent for 2026-27. Your band is on your bill, or on the Valuation Office Agency’s search.


Your band

Band ABand BBand CBand DBand EBand FBand GBand H




Band D in Stoke-on-Trent: **£2,183 a year**, or £218.31 a month over the usual ten instalments. Living alone as the only adult, it would be £1,637 after the 25% discount.



The council’s set rates, before any council tax reduction or other discount. You can ask to pay over twelve months instead of ten.



Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source:
[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics).








## Who gets the money?



1784

399



Stoke-on-Trent 82%Other precepting bodies 18%





| Who receives it | Band D | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stoke-on-TrentDetails | £1,784 | 82% |
| Share82% | | |
| Other precepting bodiesDetails | £399 | 18% |
| Share18% | | |





Each body sets its own precept and the council simply collects them together. The council that
sends the bill keeps only its own share.



[Where your council tax goes: from your bill to each service](/council-tax/england/stoke-on-trent/where-it-goes/)





## How does it compare?



Band D here is **£228 below** the England average, 274 of 296 councils from the highest.




**Stoke-on-Trent among the England councils nearest it, Band D 2026-27**



- 270. Barking and Dagenham

£2,199
- 271. Solihull

£2,197
- 272. Sunderland

£2,197
- 273. Hounslow

£2,186
- ◆274. Stoke-on-Trent

£2,183
- 275. Doncaster

£2,168
- 276. Wigan

£2,153
- 277. Merton

£2,147
- 278. Dudley

£2,145




England average: £2,411 ◆ Stoke-on-Trent



Ranked highest first. [Every council](/councils/) is in the full table.




**Show as a table**





| Name | Band D |
| --- | --- |
| 270. Barking and Dagenham | £2,199 |
| 271. Solihull | £2,197 |
| 272. Sunderland | £2,197 |
| 273. Hounslow | £2,186 |
| 274. Stoke-on-Trent (Stoke-on-Trent) | £2,183 |
| 275. Doncaster | £2,168 |
| 276. Wigan | £2,153 |
| 277. Merton | £2,147 |
| 278. Dudley | £2,145 |






Figures for the 2026–27 financial year. Source:
[Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics).






## How does Stoke-on-Trent compare? The report card



Official figures on complaints, finances, audit, pay and services for Stoke-on-Trent, each from the body that
published it and set against the figure for England. See every council on the
[council map](/councils/map/?council=E06000021).



- Council tax rise this year5.0%Higher than the England figure of 4.9%
- Council tax per head£557Lower than the England figure of £796
- Ombudsman uphold rate73% (11 of 15)Lower than the England figure of 86%
- Reserves as a share of net spending20%Lower than the England figure of 50%
- Borrowing per home£6,626Higher than the England figure of £3,474
- Accounts, 2024-25Post backstop opinion delivered92% of bodies had an opinion delivered by the backstop date
- Ofsted, children's servicesRequires improvement to be good73% of English councils are good or outstanding
- CQC, adult social careGood62% of assessed councils are good or outstanding
- Recycling rate34.3%Lower than the England figure of 42.0%
- Major planning decisions on time96.5%Higher than the England figure of 91.0%



Each figure is set against the figure for England as a whole. They are plain comparisons, one measure at a
time: there is no overall score and no ranking of councils. Higher is not always better or worse; what each
measure does and does not show is on the [methodology page](/methodology/#council-report-cards).




### What do complaints to the ombudsman show?





| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | For comparison |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Complaints and enquiries receivedDetails | 97 | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| Complaints and enquiries decidedDetails | 82 | 66 in 2024-25 |
| For comparison66 in 2024-25 | | |
| Detailed investigationsDetails | 15 | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| UpheldDetails | 11 | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| Uphold rateDetails | 73% | 86% for every body the Ombudsman covers; 85% for similar councils |
| For comparison86% for every body the Ombudsman covers; 85% for similar councils | | |
| Upheld cases where the council had already offered a satisfactory remedyDetails | 27% | 13% for every body the Ombudsman covers |
| For comparison13% for every body the Ombudsman covers | | |
| Ombudsman’s recommendations the council complied withDetails | 100% | 99.9% for every body the Ombudsman covers |
| For comparison99.9% for every body the Ombudsman covers | | |
| Uphold rate in 2024-25Details | 80% | — |
| For comparison— | | |




An uphold rate depends on how many complaints reach a detailed investigation. With few investigations, one decision moves it a long way.

Source: [Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Annual review of local government complaints](https://www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre/reports/annual-review-reports/local-government-complaint-reviews), 2025-26.



The Housing Ombudsman, which handles complaints from council tenants, made
**1** finding of severe maladministration
against Stoke on Trent City Council in 2025-26, out of 9 findings in
5 determinations. Its maladministration rate for this landlord was
89%.

Source: [Housing Ombudsman Service, Annual complaints review: landlord tables](https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/annual-complaint-review-reports/), 2025-26.






### How healthy are its finances?





| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | For comparison |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Net revenue spending, 2025-26Details | £255.8m | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| Reserves at the end of 2025-26Details | £50.1m | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| Reserves as a share of net spendingDetails | 20% | 50% for England; 19% in 2024-25 |
| For comparison50% for England; 19% in 2024-25 | | |
| Outstanding borrowing at 30 June 2026Details | £794.7m | — |
| For comparison— | | |
| Borrowing per home on the valuation listDetails | £6,626 | £3,474 across English billing authorities |
| For comparison£3,474 across English billing authorities | | |




Earmarked and unallocated revenue reserves at the end of the year, excluding schools and public health, as a share of net revenue expenditure. Much of any council’s reserves is set aside for particular purposes. Borrowing is total outstanding loans of every kind; councils borrow mainly to pay for buildings, roads and housing, and the figure does not show what the borrowing was for.

Source: [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: revenue outturn time series](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing), 2025-26; [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Local authority borrowing and investment live table](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-local-government-finance), 30 June 2026; [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Council Taxbase statistics](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-taxbase-statistics), 2025.



It was agreed Exceptional Financial Support for 2024-25, 2025-26, 2026-27.
Each is dated and linked in the events below.






### What have the auditors said?





| Accounts year | Status recorded by PSAA | Opinion signed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2024-25 | Post backstop opinion delivered | 26 March 2026 |
| 2023-24 | Delivered by backstop | 27 February 2025 |




“Delivered by backstop” means the auditor gave an opinion by the statutory backstop date. Many opinions given that way
were disclaimed or qualified because the deadline cut the audit short; PSAA publishes which type of opinion each
council received only as national totals, so it is not shown here. Auditors’ value-for-money findings are in each
auditor’s annual report on the council’s website.

Source: [Public Sector Audit Appointments, Monthly audit opinion data](https://www.psaa.co.uk/managing-audit-quality/monthly-audit-opinion-data/), 2024-25.






### What are senior staff and councillors paid?



Senior pay and councillor allowances for Stoke-on-Trent have not yet been read from its statement of accounts. There is no
central dataset of either; they are being added council by council, each with a link to the page of the accounts
it comes from.






### How are its services rated?





| Measure | Stoke-on-Trent | For comparison |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Children's services, Ofsted overall effectiveness | [Requires improvement to be good](https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/44/861) | 15 July 2025. 73% of English councils judged good or outstanding |
| Adult social care, CQC assessment | [Good](https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports/stoke-on-trent) | 13 June 2025. 62% of assessed councils rated good or outstanding |
| Household waste sent for reuse, recycling or composting, 2024-25 | 34.3% | 42.0% for England |
| Major planning decisions on time, 24 months to end of june 2026 | 96.5% | 91.0% for England |
| Non-major planning decisions on time, 24 months to end of June 2026 | 95.4% | 90.7% for England |




Inspections happen at different times, so a rating can be several years old; the date is shown with each.
Planning figures are measured differently in each nation: share of decisions made within the statutory time (13 weeks for major, 8 for non-major) or an agreed extension, over 24 months.
Recycling rates are measured differently in England, Scotland and Wales, so compare within a nation.

Source: [Ofsted, Children's social care: local authority inspection outcomes](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/childrens-social-care-statistics), as at 31 March 2026; [Care Quality Commission, Local authority assessments](https://www.cqc.org.uk/care-services/local-authority-assessment-reports), latest assessment; [Department for Transport, Road condition statistics: data tables (RDC)](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/road-condition-statistics-data-tables-rdc), 2024-25; [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Local authority collected waste management: annual results](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results), 2024-25; [Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Live tables on planning application statistics (P151, P153)](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-planning-application-statistics), 24 months to end of June 2026.








### What has happened recently?



Decisions and publications by official bodies about Stoke-on-Trent, newest first. Each links to the body that made
or published it. News reports are not included.



- 1 April 2026
Council tax
[Council tax for 2026-27: Band D £2,183, up 5.0% on the year before](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/council-tax-statistics)

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- 26 March 2026
Audit
[Auditor’s opinion on the 2024-25 accounts signed](https://www.psaa.co.uk/managing-audit-quality/monthly-audit-opinion-data/august-2026-audit-opinion-data/)
PSAA records the status as “Post backstop opinion delivered”; auditor Forvis Mazars LLP.
Public Sector Audit Appointments
- 27 February 2026
Audit backstop
[Listed by MHCLG as not meeting the audit backstop requirements for 2024-25](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/addressing-the-local-audit-backlog-in-england-non-compliance-lists/addressing-the-local-audit-backlog-in-england-non-compliance-lists--2)
Draft accounts published by the deadline: yes. Audit opinion delivered by the backstop date: no.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- 23 February 2026
Exceptional Financial Support
[Exceptional Financial Support agreed in principle for 2026-27](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptional-financial-support-for-local-authorities-for-2026-27)
£10.5m (support agreed in-principle)
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- 20 February 2025
Exceptional Financial Support
[Exceptional Financial Support agreed in principle for 2025-26](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptional-financial-support-for-local-authorities-for-2025-26)
£16.8m
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- 29 February 2024
Exceptional Financial Support
[Exceptional Financial Support agreed in principle for 2024-25](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptional-financial-support-for-local-authorities-for-2024-25)
£21.371m; £20.5m for 2023-24
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
- 4 May 2023
Election
[Local election: 44 seats won](https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/local.stoke-on-trent.2023-05-04/)
Labour Party 23, Conservative and Unionist Party 14, Labour and Co-operative Party 6, City Independents 1
Democracy Club







### Does the council think something here is wrong?



If you represent Stoke-on-Trent and think a figure here is wrong, out of date or unfairly presented, email
[hello@whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk](mailto:hello@whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk?subject=Right%20of%20reply%3A%20Stoke-on-Trent%20report%20card) with this page’s address and the source you would point to.
Every correction is logged, with its date, on the [corrections page](/corrections/).






## How much of the council's spending does this cover?



Council tax paid for **13.7%** of the money
Stoke-on-Trent had to spend in 2025-26. The rest came from government grants
(43.6%), business rates
(12.8%) and fees, charges and other income
(29.8%).
That is why a grant cut can raise your bill even when the council has not changed what it does.
[See where it goes](/council-tax/england/stoke-on-trent/where-it-goes/#d-bill).





## Where can I find out more?



[What council tax is and why it works this way](/council-tax/), including why the bands
are still based on 1991 property values in England and Scotland, and
[how every area compares](/councils/), everything else on
[Stoke-on-Trent: parking, roads, your MP and local services](/your-area/stoke-on-trent/), and
[Stoke-on-Trent on the council map](/councils/map/?council=E06000021).






## Common questions


How much is council tax in Stoke-on-Trent?
Band D is £2,183 a year for 2026-27. Band A is £1,455 and the top band £4,366.Is council tax in Stoke-on-Trent higher than average?
No. Band D here is £228 below the England average of £2,411.





## 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/) |





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: Where your council tax goes in Stoke-on-Trent](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/england/stoke-on-trent/where-it-goes/)
- [Back to Stoke-on-Trent: your area](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/your-area/stoke-on-trent/)
- [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.