Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of levels of council tax in (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27 on the cost of living for (i) working households and (ii) pensioners.

Council tax levels are decided by local authorities, and the Department has not made specific assessments on the impact of council tax levels on the cost of living for working households and pensioners. For the vast majority of councils, the government intends to maintain a core 3% referendum principle and a 2% adult social care precept and is consulting on this as part of the local government finance settlement. Councils are required to put in place council tax support schemes to support those on low incomes. The support for pensioner households is centrally prescribed and provides reductions of up to 100%.