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Where your council tax goes in Sunderland
Last updated . Figures refresh every night. How each figure is worked out.
A Band D council tax bill in Sunderland is £2,197.14 for 2026-27, split between Sunderland £1,840.88, Sunderland: adult social care precept, this year's increase £35.92, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable £214.34, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority £105.11, Parish and town councils (average for the area) £0.89. Shared out in proportion to what each body spends, the largest single line is adult social care at Sunderland: £739.06 of the bill. Council tax pays for 16% 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.
Key figures
- £2,197.14Band D bill, 2026-27
- £1,840.88Goes to Sunderland itself (84%)
- £739.06Largest line: adult social care
- 16.2%Of the council's money that comes from council tax, 2025-26
Source: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Who gets your bill
Figures are for a Band D home. Bands A to H pay a fixed fraction of this, set in law.
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.
Your bill: £2,197.14
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Sunderland £1,840.88
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Parish and town councils (average for the area) £0.89
Sunderland
£1,840.88 of your bill goes to Sunderland. It is shared out below in proportion to how Sunderland spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return.
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Adult social care £739.06
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Children's social care £451.28
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Education £177.21
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Environment and regulation £162.92
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Running the council £119.04
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Roads and transport £60.07
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Housing (not council homes) £42.20
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Planning and development £29.26
Before sharing out your bill, the part of education paid for by the Dedicated Schools Grant (£130.6m) and public health paid for by the public health grant (£31.5m) is taken off, because council tax does not pay for it.
Which councils count as similar
Medians are across the 10 metropolitan borough councils closest in population: Sefton, Wolverhampton, Rotherham, Walsall, Salford, Stockport, Bolton, Newcastle, Doncaster, Barnsley. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates.
Adult social care
£739.06 of your bill goes to adult social care at Sunderland. Here is how its £156.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Physical support £221.87
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Learning disability support £189.62
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Mental health support £103.50
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Care assessment and safeguarding £69.42
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Commissioning, strategy and administration £54.59
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Assistive equipment and technology £32.57
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Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum) £12.06
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Sensory support £1.52
Physical support
£221.87 of your bill goes to physical support at Sunderland. Here is how its £47.0m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Aged 65 and over £195.14
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Aged 18 to 64 £26.73
Learning disability support
£189.62 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Sunderland. Here is how its £40.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Aged 18 to 64 £183.55
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Aged 65 and over £6.07
Mental health support
£103.50 of your bill goes to mental health support at Sunderland. Here is how its £21.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Aged 18 to 64 £54.35
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Aged 65 and over £49.15
Support with memory and cognition
£53.90 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Sunderland. Here is how its £11.4m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Aged 65 and over £48.93
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Aged 18 to 64 £4.97
Sensory support
£1.52 of your bill goes to sensory support at Sunderland. Here is how its £322k of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Aged 65 and over £1.45
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Aged 18 to 64 £0.07
Children's social care
£451.28 of your bill goes to children's social care at Sunderland. Here is how its £95.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Children looked after £280.71
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Safeguarding and social work £104.20
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Family support £31.16
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Services for young people £12.60
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Youth justice £9.76
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Asylum-seeking children £9.71
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Children's centres and early years £3.09
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Other children's and families' services £0.04
Education
£177.21 of your bill goes to education at Sunderland. Here is how its £168.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Primary schools £69.45
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Early years and nursery £44.67
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Special schools and alternative provision £39.09
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Other education £16.07
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Secondary schools £5.78
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Post-16 £2.17
Environment and regulation
£162.92 of your bill goes to environment and regulation at Sunderland. Here is how its £34.5m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Street cleaning £42.64
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Waste disposal £33.80
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Waste collection £33.64
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Recycling and waste minimisation £18.78
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Environmental health, food safety, pest control and licensing £12.92
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Community safety and CCTV £11.99
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Other environmental services £3.96
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Flood defence, land drainage and coast protection £2.14
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Trading standards £1.78
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Public toilets £1.28
Running the council
£119.04 of your bill goes to running the council at Sunderland. Here is how its £25.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Corporate and democratic core £49.74
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Local welfare assistance £24.13
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Collecting council tax and business rates £23.87
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Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets) £9.32
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Coroners' and other courts £5.54
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Elections and electoral registration £4.51
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Emergency planning £1.24
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Registering births, deaths and marriages £0.68
Roads and transport
£60.07 of your bill goes to roads and transport at Sunderland. Here is how its £12.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Street lighting (including energy) £29.68
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Road and bridge maintenance £12.88
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Winter service (gritting) £7.63
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Transport planning and policy £6.89
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Traffic management and road safety £2.99
Road and bridge maintenance
£12.88 of your bill goes to road and bridge maintenance at Sunderland. Here is how its £2.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges) £9.12
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Environmental, safety and routine maintenance £3.76
Parks, leisure, libraries and culture
£59.85 of your bill goes to parks, leisure, libraries and culture at Sunderland. Here is how its £12.7m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Museums, arts, heritage and archives £25.73
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Parks and open spaces (including play areas) £19.29
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Libraries £5.88
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Sport and leisure £5.79
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Other culture and leisure £2.13
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Tourism £0.68
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Community centres and public halls £0.34
Housing (not council homes)
£42.20 of your bill goes to housing (not council homes) at Sunderland. Here is how its £8.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Homelessness and temporary accommodation £29.97
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Supporting People and welfare services £5.20
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Housing benefit administration and discretionary payments £4.45
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Housing strategy, advice and enabling £2.43
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Private sector housing renewal £0.14
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. Sunderland 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.
Planning and development
£29.26 of your bill goes to planning and development at Sunderland. Here is how its £6.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Community development £14.95
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Planning policy £5.11
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Economic development and business support £4.70
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Planning applications (development management) £2.28
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Building control £1.19
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Environmental initiatives £1.03
Sunderland: adult social care precept, this year's increase
£35.92 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 Sunderland's adult social care spending of £156.7m 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.
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Physical support £10.78
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Mental health support £5.03
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Care assessment and safeguarding £3.37
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Commissioning, strategy and administration £2.65
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Assistive equipment and technology £1.58
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Social support (carers, substance misuse, isolation, asylum) £0.59
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Sensory support £0.07
Physical support
£10.78 of your bill goes to physical support at Sunderland. Here is how its £47.0m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Aged 65 and over £9.48
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Aged 18 to 64 £1.30
Learning disability support
£9.22 of your bill goes to learning disability support at Sunderland. Here is how its £40.2m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Aged 18 to 64 £8.92
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Aged 65 and over £0.29
Mental health support
£5.03 of your bill goes to mental health support at Sunderland. Here is how its £21.9m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Aged 18 to 64 £2.64
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Aged 65 and over £2.39
Support with memory and cognition
£2.62 of your bill goes to support with memory and cognition at Sunderland. Here is how its £11.4m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Aged 65 and over £2.38
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Aged 18 to 64 £0.24
Sensory support
£0.07 of your bill goes to sensory support at Sunderland. Here is how its £322k of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Aged 65 and over £0.07
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Aged 18 to 64 £0.00
Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable
£214.34 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 Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable's adult social care spending of £421.4m divided in 2025-26. MHCLG publishes only this year's increase; the running total since 2016-17 printed on your bill is in the council part above.
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority
£105.11 of your bill goes to Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority. It is shared out below in proportion to how Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority spent its money in 2025-26, its latest published return.
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Fire and rescue £104.70
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Running the council £0.41
Which councils count as similar
Medians are across the 10 fire and rescue authorities closest in population: Leicestershire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Staffordshire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Nottinghamshire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Cheshire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Avon Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Derbyshire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Berkshire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, Humberside Combined Fire and Rescue Authority, Cambridgeshire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority. Per-resident figures use ONS mid-year population estimates.
Fire and rescue
£104.70 of your bill goes to fire and rescue at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority. Here is how its £71.0m of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Firefighting and rescue £90.35
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Community fire safety £14.35
Running the council
£0.41 of your bill goes to running the council at Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority. Here is how its £277k of net spending on it divides in the return.
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Corporate and democratic core £0.38
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Non-distributed costs (past pensions, unused assets) £0.03
Parks, street cleaning and roads here
What Sunderland 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 for Parks and open spaces (including play areas) | £4.1m | £14 | £13 | — | up 16.6% on 2024-25 |
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Street cleaningDetails for Street cleaning | £9.5m | £33 | £13 | £12,918 (similar: £6,517) | down 10.0% on 2024-25 |
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Road and bridge maintenanceDetails for Road and bridge maintenance | £2.9m | £9.93 | £13 | £3,879 (similar: £6,465) | up 455.8% on 2024-25 |
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Environmental, safety and routine maintenanceDetails for Environmental, safety and routine maintenance | £832k | £2.90 | £7.80 | £1,132 (similar: £4,298) | no change on 2024-25 |
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Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges)Details for Structural maintenance (resurfacing, bridges) | £2.0m | £7.03 | £3.63 | £2,747 (similar: £1,275) | — |
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Winter service (gritting)Details for Winter service (gritting) | £1.7m | £5.89 | £2.45 | £2,299 (similar: £1,231) | down 1.9% on 2024-25 |
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Street lighting (including energy)Details for Street lighting (including energy) | £6.6m | £23 | £9.30 | £8,941 (similar: £4,902) | down 6.6% on 2024-25 |
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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 it adds up to
| Service | Per resident | Median |
|---|---|---|
EducationDetails for Education | £586 | £872 |
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Adult social careDetails for Adult social care | £546 | £480 |
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Children's social careDetails for Children's social care | £333 | £340 |
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Environment and regulationDetails for Environment and regulation | £120 | £92 |
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Public healthDetails for Public health | £110 | £88 |
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Running the councilDetails for Running the council | £88 | £59 |
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Roads and transportDetails for Roads and transport | £44 | £29 |
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Parks, leisure, libraries and cultureDetails for Parks, leisure, libraries and culture | £44 | £50 |
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Housing (not council homes)Details for Housing (not council homes) | £31 | £39 |
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Planning and developmentDetails for Planning and development | £22 | £29 |
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- Sunderland spent 21.2% 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, 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, 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. The dataset is on the data page. See also council tax in Sunderland and everything else about Sunderland.
Common questions
- What does council tax pay for in Sunderland?
- A Band D bill of £2,197.14 is split between Sunderland, Sunderland: adult social care precept, this year's increase, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Authority, Parish and town councils (average for the area). In proportion to spending, the largest line is adult social care, £739.06.
- 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 | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | the 2026–27 financial year | annual | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
| Local authority revenue expenditure and financing: Revenue Outturn multi-year data set | Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 28 September 2026 | annual | Open Government Licence v3.0 |
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.