Oxfordshire Council Tax Set To Rise By Maximum Allowed Amount

English councils can raise council tax yearly. They can go up to 4.99 percent without a vote if they handle social care. Smaller councils have a 2.99 percent limit and don’t manage social care duties.

Oxfordshire’s council tax will rise by 4.99 percent, the maximum amount allowed. The government will let six areas exceed that cap in 2025-26.

Oxfordshire saw another 4.99 percent increase recently, in 2024-25. The rise included 2.99 percent for general costs, while adult social care added another two percent.

Hampshire sought a much bigger increase of 15 percent. The government denied this permission. Fourteen top-tier authorities haven’t shared their figures yet, meaning they haven’t proposed or finalized anything.

The government increased national insurance costs for employers. Oxford will lose over £1 million each year because of this, as every UK council felt the 1.2 percent national insurance hike, announced by Rachel Reeves in the autumn budget.

The government gave Oxford £300,000 as compensation, meant to offset those higher national insurance costs. Oxford City Council estimates £800,000 in extra costs and Oxford Direct Services face another £600,000.