Councils are spending a larger portion of their budgets on social care, says Professor Tony Travers from the London School of Economics.
“Social care makes up about 65% of all councils spending, it’s an enormous part of their budget, driven by demand, and growing as a share of all local government spending”, he told BBC Verify.
Smaller councils without these social care responsibilities can increase bills by up to 3%.
Parish and town councils can also levy a charge – known as a precept – to fund their work, which is not subject to a cap.
Police and fire authorities, as well as combined authorities led by elected mayors, can also raise bills this way.
All of these charges can be reflected in a household’s council tax bill.
The LGA has warned that “while council tax is an important funding stream, it cannot solve the long-term pressures facing councils”.
In Scotland, all council tax rises for 2026-27 exceed inflation, with some councils putting the tax up by as much as 10%.
In Wales, council tax will increase 4.8% on average, external.
Northern Ireland uses a domestic rates system, external, instead of council tax.
