House of Commons · Written Ministerial Statement
Modernising and Improving the Administration of Council Tax
15 April 2026 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Proposed by Alison McGovern Lab Wirral South
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
At a glance
Key points
- The Government is publishing a response to its consultation on council tax reforms.
- Reforms aim to make council tax bills easier to manage and provide clearer information on support options.
- Additional safeguards will be introduced for vulnerable households and the title of the 'Severely Mentally Impaired' disregard will be updated.
Issue summary
The statement addresses modernising and improving the administration of council tax in England to make it fairer for taxpayers and councils.
Action requested
The Government is publishing a response to its consultation, setting out reforms to be delivered over this Parliament. These include making bills easier to manage, providing clearer information on support options, introducing additional safeguards for vulnerable households, updating the title of the 'Severely Mentally Impaired' council tax disregard, and considering proposals for carers and apprentice disregards.
Key facts
- Council tax is paid by approximately 25 million households in England.
- The consultation received over 3,000 responses from various groups.
- Reforms will slow the escalation of enforcement, reduce stress and anxiety for struggling households, and give people more time to engage with their council.
- The Ministry of Justice is consulting on introducing independent statutory regulation of the enforcement sector.