This page explains how the Council Tax is arrived at and how the council raises and spends its income.
Council Tax is the local tax which helps to pay for local services.
It represents part of the council’s income which it needs to meet expenditure after taking account of income it receives from other sources. Your Council Tax helps to pay for local services such as sport and leisure facilities, street lighting, youth centres, supporting the elderly and much more.
It also contributes to Police, Fire and Rescue Services, the disposal of household waste and public transport. This page gives general information and should not be treated as an authoritative statement of the law.
You can contact the council if you do not understand something or need further information.
Council Tax Valuation Bands
Wirral Council has set a Council Tax charge for each band of dwelling as shown below for the year ending 31 March 2023. The charge comprises the following items:
| Council Tax Band | Range of Values | Proportion to Band D | Council Tax Payable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band A | up to and inc. £40,000 | 6/9 | £1438.71 |
| Band B | £40,001 - £52,000 | 7/9 | £1678.50 |
| Band C | £52,001 - £68,000 | 8/9 | £1918.27 |
| Band D | £68,001 - £88,000 | 1 | £2158.06 |
| Band E | £88,001 - £120,000 | 11/9 | £2637.62 |
| Band F | £120,001 - £160,000 | 13/9 | £3117.20 |
| Band G | £160,001 - £320,000 | 15/9 | £3596.77 |
| Band H | more than £320,000 | 2 | £4316.12 |
The amount of Council Tax charged for each band depends upon the tax set for Band D. All Council Tax valuations are based on the price that a property would have fetched if it had been sold on 1 April 1991.
Any increase or fall in a property’s value which results from general changes in the housing market since then will not affect its valuation.
You can check your Council Tax Band on the GOV.UK website.
The movement in general prices will not be a reason for changing your Council Tax band.
How to pay your Council Tax
Find out about the different ways you can pay your Council Tax
You can pay your Council Tax over 10 or 12 monthly instalments.
Find out how much your instalments would be
What happens if I don’t pay as requested?
Find out what happens if you do not pay your Council Tax
Find out how to get help if you are struggling to pay your Council Tax
Adult Social Care Funding
In relation to the year beginning 2020 and any subsequent year, the Secretary of State made an offer to adult social care authorities. (‘Adult social care authorities’ are local authorities which have functions under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, namely county councils in England, district councils for an area in England for which there is no county council, London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London and the Council of the Isles of Scilly.)
The offer was the option of an adult social care authority being able to charge an additional 'precept' on its Council Tax without holding a referendum, to assist the authority in meeting its expenditure on adult social care from the financial year 2016-17.
It was originally made in respect of the financial years up to and including 2019-20. If the Secretary of State chooses to renew this offer in respect of a particular financial year, this is subject to the approval of the House of Commons.
The government has extended this into 2023-24. Your bill therefore also includes an additional 2% adult social care precept.
Financial summary
Total Council Tax requirements 2023-24
| Wirral Council | £325,418,619 |
Levies
| Transport levy | £23,042,000 |
| Waste Authority levy | £17,712,156 |
| Flood defence levy | £187,621 |
| Port health levy | £164,078 |
| Sea fisheries levy | £75,856 |
| Total for levies | £41,181,711 |
Precepts
| Police and Crime Commissioner precept |
£24,084,570 |
| Fire and Rescue precept | £8,469,793 |
| Liverpool City Region Combined Authority precept |
£1,816,116 |
| Total for precepts | £34,370,479 |
| Total requirement | £400,970,809 |
Less revenue sources
| Business Rates Baseline | (£67,149,945) |
| Business Rates S31 | (£26,577,796) |
| Top Up | (£59,239,835) |
| Social Care Support Grant | (£32,142,368) |
| Services Grant | (£3,295,000) |
| New Homes Bonus | (£440,395) |
| Contribution from Local Council Tax Support Grant | (£2,425,841) |
| Collection Fund (surplus) / deficit | £3,491,874 |
| Market Sustainability and Improvement | (£4,215,866) |
| ASC Discharge Fund | (£2,697,262) |
| Total External Support | (£194,692,434) |
| Net Requirement | £206,278,375 |
| Tax Base for Band D (equivalent properties) | £95,585.07 |
| Council Tax for Band D | £2,158.06 |
How spending has changed
|
Budget Requirement 2022-23 |
£330.58 million |
Removal of one-off items from 2022-23 |
|
| Neighbourhoods | (£0.85 million) |
| Children & Families | £0.47 million |
| Finance, Legal, Resource and Cross-cutting Efficiencies | £2.31 million |
Increased Pressures |
|
| Levies and Precepts | £2.67 million |
| Employees | £11.76 million |
| Other Running Costs | £12.54 million |
| Regeneration & Place | £1.66 million |
| Resources | £2.62 million |
| Neighbourhoods | £4.35 million |
| Childrens | £9.41 million |
| Adult Care & Health | £22.04 million |
Savings and Efficiencies |
|
| Neighbourhoods | £1.6 million |
| Regeneration | £2.66 million |
| Children & Families | £4.18 million |
| Adult Care & Health | £5.94 million |
| Finance, Legal, Resource and Cross-cutting Efficiencies | £13.96 million |
|
Budget Requirement 2023-24 |
£366.6 million |
How the Council spends its own money (in gross terms)
By area of spend
| 2023/24 by area of spend | Amount |
|---|---|
| Business Management | £123.87 million |
| Environment | £255.41 million |
| People | £516.24 million |
| Total | £895.52 million |
By type of spend
| Type of spend in 2023/24 | Amount | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | £25.03 million | 3% |
| Levies | £41.05 million | 5% |
| Employees | £162.48 million | 18% |
| Running Expenses | £666.96 million | 74% |
| Total | £895.52 million |
General fund expenditure
| 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross expenditure | £858.3 million | £859.5 million | £895.5 million |
| Gross income | (£121.6 million) | (£177.1 million) | (£168.1 million) |
| Specific government grants | (£407.4 million) | (£351.8 million) | (£360.8 million) |
| Net operating requirement | £329.4 million | £330.6 million | £366.6 million |
| Use of reserves and general balances | (£11.1 million) | (£4.7 million) | (£2.4 million) |
| Collection Fund (surplus) or deficit | £1.0 million | £4.1 million | £3.5 million |
| Net budget requirement | £304.7 million | £309.0 million | £367.7 million |
Less grants
| 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Rates Top Up | (£53.1 million) | (£54.3 million) | (£59.2 million) |
| Business Rates S31 | (£12.1 million) | (£21.5 million) | (£26.6 million) |
| Social Care Support Grant | (£14.6 million) | (£19.9 million) | (£32.2 million) |
| Market Sustainability & Improvement | 0.0 | 0.0 | (£4.2 million) |
| ASC Discharge Fund | 0.0 | 0.0 | (£2.7 million) |
| New Homes Bonus | (£200,000) | (£400,000) | (£400,000) |
| Lower Tier Services | (£500,000) | (£500,000) | 0.0 |
| Services Grant | 0.0 | (£5.6 million) | (£3.3 million) |
| Market Sustainability & Fair Cost of Care | 0.0 | (£1.2 million) | 0.0 |
| Covid Emergency Fund | (£10.0 million) | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Local taxation
| 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Rates Baseline | (£72.2 million) | (£63.7 million) |
(£67.2 million) |
| Council Tax Requirement | £156.7 million | £162.9 million |
£171.9 million |
Add precepts
| 2021/22 | 2022/22 | 2023/24 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police and Crime Commission | £21.4 million | £22.6 million | £24.1 million |
| Fire and rescue | £7.7 million | £8.0 million | £8.5 million |
| Liverpool City Region Combined Authority | £1.8 million | £1.8 million | £1.8 million |
| Total Council Tax requirement | £187.6 million | £195.3 million | £206.3 million |
How does Council Tax work?
Council Tax is made up of a property element and a personal element. The property element is a tax on dwellings where people live, including domestic properties such as houses, flats and living accommodation in part of a commercial property, for example, a flat above a shop.
Each dwelling is given a value or a band and the council sets the charge against each band. The personal element of the tax relates to the assumption that two adults live in a property.
Discounts are available, for example, if only one adult lives in a property. The amount you pay may also be reduced if you are on a low income or you have a disability.
Discounts
Council Tax is calculated based on the assumption that two adults live in the property. A 25% discount may be awarded if there is one resident in the property.
Find out about other available discounts
Empty properties not shown in the following list will attract a full charge. Any properties empty between 2-5 years not shown in the list will attract a premium charge of 100% (200% payable), irrespective of any change in ownership.
From 1 April 2021 properties empty and unfurnished for at least 5 years but less than 10 years will attract an additional premium charge of 200% ( 300% payable) and properties empty and unfurnished for at least 10 years will attract an additional premium charge of 300% (400% payable) irrespective of any change in ownership.
Exemptions
Certain occupied and unoccupied properties may be exempt from Council Tax if they fall into one of the categories listed:
Unoccupied properties:
- CLASS B: owned by a charity and has been unoccupied for a period of less that 6 months.
- CLASS D: left unoccupied by a person in detention (except for non-payment of Council Tax).
- CLASS E: left unoccupied by a person who is a permanent resident in a hospital or nursing home.
- CLASS F: where the last occupier was a sole adult who has died and probate has either yet to be granted or has been granted for a period of less than 6 months. Please note, exemption only applies if the deceased is the liable person for Council Tax.
- CLASS G: occupation is prohibited by law.
- CLASS H: unoccupied awaiting occupation by a minister of religion.
- CLASS I: unoccupied by a person receiving care elsewhere.
- CLASS J: unoccupied by a person providing care elsewhere.
- CLASS K: unoccupied property where the owner is a student, who has left to live and study elsewhere.
- CLASS L: unoccupied repossessed property.
- CLASS Q: left unoccupied by a bankrupt.
- CLASS R: unoccupied caravan pitch or boat mooring.
- CLASS T: unoccupied, but forms a part of another dwelling which may not be let separately, i.e. a granny flat or annexe.
Occupied properties
- CLASS M: student hall of residence.
- CLASS N: occupied solely by students.
- CLASS O and P: armed forces, barracks, married quarters and accommodation for visiting forces.
- CLASS S: occupied only by a person(s) under the age of 18.
- CLASS U: occupied solely by severely mentally impaired person(s).
- CLASS V: occupied by diplomats and their non-British spouse.
- CLASS W: a separate unit within a property, occupied by a dependant relative of the Council Tax payer who is resident in the main connected property i.e. granny flat or annexe.
You must tell us:
- if you receive a bill and disagree that you are liable to pay. Please return it right away telling us why you consider it to be incorrect
- if you think you may be entitled to a discount or exemption and none is shown on the bill
- if a discount or exemption is shown on your bill and you no longer qualify for it. Failure to do so could lead to a financial penalty being made against you.
If you tell us that there has been a change to your property and wish to apply for a discount or exemption, we will arrange for one of our inspectors to visit it and check. We will not accept a backdated claim that a property qualifies for a reduction where Wirral Council has not been given the opportunity to inspect the property, or you are unable to provide satisfactory evidence to support your claim.
The council has the power to reduce Council Tax where national discounts and exemptions do not apply.
Each case will be viewed on its merits, and we will only consider using this power in exceptional circumstances.
People with disabilities
If you, or someone living with you, needs a room, an extra room due to a disability (for example, extra bathroom), or uses a wheelchair indoors, you may be entitled to a reduced Council Tax bill. This reduction aims to ensure that people with disabilities do not pay more Council Tax on account of their disability. If you qualify, your bill may be reduced.
If your home has special fixtures for a resident with a disability and you believe that they reduce the value of your home and this has not been taken into consideration in your valuation band, you should email the council for a DPR application at counciltax@wirral.gov.uk
Find out more or apply for a reduction.
Council Tax Appeal System
You may appeal against a Council Tax decision if you do not agree with it.
Find out how you can appeal against a Council Tax decision
Can I appeal against my property’s valuation band?
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) values domestic properties for Council Tax. This valuation is used to set your Council Tax band. You might need to contact the VOA if you think your Council Tax band is wrong.
You can find out more about when you can challenge your band and what you need to do on the GOV.UK website. If you challenge your band, you must continue to pay Council Tax at your current band until your appeal is decided.
You can contact the VOA via the GOV.UK website. If you are unable to use the online service, you can also contact the VOA on 03000 501 501.
Appeals against banding are restricted to:
- new taxpayers who can appeal within six months of becoming liable
- new properties brought onto the Valuation List
- properties which change to or from domestic use
- properties which have a material increase such as an extension and a change of ownership happens
- properties which have a material decrease such as demolition of part of the property
Council Tax Support
The Council Tax Support scheme is designed to help people on Department for Work Pension benefits or who have low paid jobs or low incomes. Its aim is to also help and protect the most vulnerable in our community, our elderly and our disabled/long term sick, in line with government guidelines.
The key features of Wirral’s scheme are:
- Support up to a maximum of 88% (except for people who fall into a protected group or are pensioners).
- A standard non-dependant deduction of £14.15 per week (standard deductions for protected working age claimants and pensioners range from £4.60 to £14.15 per week based on the non-dependants income).
- Capital amount limited to £6,000 (£16,000 for pensioners and those in protected groups).
- Second Adult Rebate only for pensioners.
- A backdate provision of up to 3 months for exceptional circumstances.
The amount of Council Tax Support you receive depends upon:
- Any income and savings you may have
- The number of people who live in your property
- The Council Tax band of your property
If you are eligible for Council Tax Support, the amount awarded will be shown on your new bill. Your bill and the amount to pay may also alter if your circumstances change. You must tell us immediately of any change to your income, savings or the number of people in your household changes. If you make a new successful claim for Universal Credit and are liable for Council Tax your award notice will be used to work out any entitlement to Council Tax Support.
You must carry on paying the instalments shown on your Council Tax bill whilst an application is being considered. If your application is successful, you will be sent a new bill with revised instalments.
Council Tax Support Fund 2023/24
The government announced on the 23 December £100 million of additional funding for local authorities to support the most vulnerable households in England. This funding will allow Wirral Council to deliver additional support to over 10,000 households already receiving council tax support.
The funding is for the 2023-24 financial year. Wirral has been allocated £ 789,483 this means we can reduce the bills of those receiving Council Tax Support by up £60 per council tax account. This will be awarded automatically and will be shown on your bill. If you bill is for less than £60 before the relief you will have nothing to pay.
We will also be making awards of £60 to all new successful claimants of council tax support in 2023/24 until the fund runs out.
Care Leavers Discount
If you have been in the care of Wirral Council (for instance you lived in a care home or were fostered) and are leaving care, you may be entitled to a reduction in Council Tax until you reach the age of 25. The amount of reduction you’re entitled to may be up to 100% depending on the number of people who live with you.
The reduction will apply from 1 April 2018 or whenever you became liable to pay Council Tax if after this date.
Fraud hotline
Do you know or suspect that someone is claiming Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support or a Council Tax discount or exemption fraudulently?
Find out how you can report fraud
Supporting other services - Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA)
We are the public body responsible for dealing with household waste and recycling once it’s been collected from your home.
Using the latest technology, we aim to make sure as much waste as possible is sustainably managed. Our Energy from Waste facility in Wilton diverts the majority of Merseyside’s non-recycled waste from landfill - and in the process saves more than £100m in current landfill disposal costs over the life of its contract.
We work hard to encourage Merseyside’s householders to use less in the first place and, through our 14 Household Waste Recycling Centres and District Council kerbside collections, to recycle as much as they can. Last year, 36.6% of Merseyside’s household waste was reused, recycled and composted. Recycling, alongside our waste prevention work and involvement with community projects, can help us all contribute to fighting climate change.
Read more about the work of the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority
Wirral Council's financial contribution to Merseyside Waste Authority
| 2022 - 2023 | 2023 - 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Net Expenditure | £82.115 million | £82.373 million |
| Contribution to Reserves | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Total Requirement | £82.115 million | £82.373 million |
| Use of Reserves | -£3.126 million | -£3.480 million |
| Levy | £78.989 million | £78.893 million |
| Levy per Head (Merseyside) | £55.07 million | £55.43 million |
The Levy for Wirral Council for 2023-24 will be £17,712,156.
For more information contact:
Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority7th Floor
No.1 Mann IslandLiverpool L3 1BP
- Tel: 0151 255 1444
- Email: enquiries@merseysidewda.gov.uk
- Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority website
- Recycle Right website
- Zero Waste website
Supporting other services - Environment Agency
The Council Tax (Demand Notices) (England) Regulations 2011.
The Environment Agency is a levying body for its Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Functions under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 and the Environment Agency (Levies) (England and Wales) Regulations 2011.
The Environment Agency has powers in respect of flood and coastal erosion risk management for 6500 kilometres of main river and along tidal and sea defences in the area of the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. Money is spent on the construction of new flood defence schemes, the maintenance of the river system and existing flood defences together with the operation of a flood warning system and management of the risk of coastal erosion. The financial details are:
North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee
| 2022/2023 | 2023/2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Expenditure | £103,714 | £125,035 |
| Levies Raised | £4,283 | £4,412 |
| Total Council Tax Base | £2,208 | £2,248 |
The majority of funding for flood defence comes directly from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). However, under the new Partnership Funding rule not all schemes will attract full central funding.To provide local funding for local priorities and contributions for partnership funding the Regional Flood and Coastal Committees recommend through the Environment Agency a local levy.
A change in the gross budgeted expenditure between years reflects the programme of works for both capital and revenue needed by the Regional Flood and Coastal Committee to which you contribute. The total Local Levy raised by this committee has increased by 3.0%.
The total Local Levy raised has increased from £4,283,391 in 2022/2023 to £4,411,893 for 2023/2024.
Supporting other services - Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority
Precept Information 2023-2024
The Authority must ensure it has the resources to meet the demands placed on its services. The Authority has set a budget in response to emergent and foreseeable risk from fire and other emergencies, particularly the services ability to respond to large and/or protracted incidents, as well as the need to enhance protection functions in the light of the Grenfell Tower fire, the Manchester terror attack and other major incidents.
The Authority has secured significant re-investment back into the organisation in recent years, particularly in frontline response and protection services. The Authority continues to increase investment in the Service and the 2023/2024 budget includes an additional £0.7m for frontline resilience, firefighter safety, and support for operational services. The Authority capital programme looks to invest £55m in the Service’s infrastructure by 2027/2028, and this will ensure firefighters have the best equipment to respond to a variety of risks to keep the Merseyside community safe.
The ongoing investment the Authority has made in the Service and the benefits this brings to the Merseyside community, were reflected in the last HMICFRS inspection evaluation. The Authority scored an unprecedented three ‘Outstanding’ judgements across the eleven sub themes for its work preventing fires and other emergencies, its response to major and multi-agency incidents, and for making the best use of its resources.
How The Money Is Spent
Approximately 72% of the Authority’s 2023/2024 budget remains committed to delivering Operational Response, Protection and Preventative frontline services, as these functions have been recognised as priority areas by the public following extensive consultation. The costs associated with funding capital investment account for 12%, and relate to investment in frontline activities such as fire stations, fire appliances and operational equipment. The remaining 16% is on support services, of which a significant proportion relates to essential frontline service support such as insurance of vehicles and premises, the vehicle maintenance workshop, and ICT costs.
2023-24 Net Budget by Service Analysis
| Response and Control | 53% |
| Capital | 12.2% |
| Operational Preparedness | 9.4% |
| Protection | 4.9% |
| Prevention and Community Safety | 4.9% |
| Support Services and Other | 15.6% |
How the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority is funded
The Authority’s 2023/2024 Gross Budget is £88m and below outlines how this is funded.
| Service | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Council Tax | 39.3% |
| Government Funding Settlement | 37.7% |
| Fees, Charges and Reserves |
23% |
Council Tax Charge for the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority
The Council Tax for a Band D property for 2023/2024 has been set at:
| Gross Budget | £88.186 million | |
|---|---|---|
| Income and Specific Grants | -£13.948 million | |
| Net Use of Reserves | -£6.317 million | |
| Net Budget Requirement | £67.921 million | |
| Government Settlement Funding (less Local Business Rate Adjustment) | -£33.249 million | |
| Council Tax / Business Rates Collection Fund Surplus | -£0.301 million | |
| Council Tax Requirement | £34.371 million | |
| Tax Base | £387,892.01 | |
| Band D Equivalent | £88.61 |
The Authority set a Council Tax requirement of £34.371m for 2023/2024 and a Council Tax for a Band D property of £88.61, a 6% increase on the 2022/2023 figure of £83.61. By increasing the council tax charge, it allows the Authority to maintain the investment in frontline services and fund the further investment planned in 2023/2024. Most council taxpayers in Merseyside will pay Band A Council Tax of £59.07 about 16p per day towards their Fire and Rescue Service.
The Authority has issued a precept on the five Merseyside District Councils of £34.371m, Wirral’s contribution to expenditure financed by precept is £8.470m, which represents 24.6% of the total precept.
Contact the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority
The Authority values the opinions of the people it serves. If you wish to comment about the services of the Authority please contact
Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters on 0151 296 4000.
Ian Cummins
CIPFA, Director of Finance
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority
Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters
Bridle Road
Bootle L30 4YD
Email: iancummins@merseyfire.gov.uk
Supporting other services - Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor and Combined Authority
Being a member of the Liverpool City Region means that Wirral residents can reap the benefits of devolved, local leadership - capturing opportunities that may previously have been out of reach and accessing funding only obtainable to areas with Combined Authority status.
As your elected Mayor, Steve Rotheram is committed to building a fairer, more equal future for the 1.6 million people who call our area home, where no one is left behind.
In what has been an incredibly challenging year for many households, Mayor Rotheram has made it his priority to ensure that families in our area feel protected from the worst impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.
Putting our residents first, the Mayor is freezing the Mayoral precept for the fourth year running so that households on the Wirral will continue to pay the lowest rates in the country. In accordance with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s (Finance) Order 2017, the Mayor is seeking to set a precept for 2023/24 of £19 per Band D property. Most council tax payers across the city region will pay a Band A Council Tax rate of £12.67 per year - around £1.05 per month.
From the Mayor’s Young Person’s Guarantee, which promises all of our young people a job, training or apprenticeship, to Housing First, a radical new approach to helping the homeless, we are leading the way in building a fairer, more inclusive local economy.
To date thousands of our most vulnerable families have been helped to save hundreds of pounds a month on their energy bills as a result of the Mayor Rotheram’s £60m retrofitting programme - with many families given a chance to get on the property ladder in quality, affordable homes through his Brownfield Land Fund.
The Mayor’s interventions have created more than 10,000 new jobs and 7,000 apprenticeships, with more than £50m invested in local schools and colleges including Wirral Met College, and hundreds of long-term unemployed people supported through Households into Work.
The Wirral’s visitor economy has been given a vital shot in the arm with the £6.5m we awarded to the new Eureka! Science and Discovery in Seacombe, alongside £5.5m invested in Kindred to support the local social trading sector.
The Mayor wants to build an integrated London-style public transport network that makes it cheaper, faster, cleaner and more reliable to get around - starting with the cost of a single adult bus journey being cut to just £2 and unlimited bus travel for under 18s (My Ticket) capped at £2.20 a day for the next two years.
Alongside proposals to improve the region’s bus network, giving local leaders greater say over fares, routes and timetables, there has been multi-million pound investment in new publicly-owned hydrogen buses which will begin to operate on the 10A route in 2023 with ambitious plans for further investment in zero emission bus fleet, and £500 million publicly-owned state-of-the-art trains – the most sophisticated and accessible in the whole country - which will be gradually rolled out over the next 12 months.
Ensuring the next generation inherits a greener, cleaner Liverpool City Region is a key priority for the Mayor - under his plans, we will hit net zero carbon by 2040 at the latest, at least a decade before national government targets. Our pioneering work on Mersey Tidal Power, which has the potential to generate enough renewable energy to power 1m homes and create thousands of local jobs and training opportunities, will have a big role to play in helping our city region hit its targets.
The movements in the gross expenditure budget are detailed below:
| Gross Expenditure 2022/23 | £205,569 |
|---|---|
| Net Change in Revenue Grant Funded Activity | £17,856 |
| Inflationary Pressures | £8,643 |
| Increase in Transport Contractual Costs | £1,658 |
| Savings Identified | -£5,616 |
| Increase in Net Debt Servicing Costs | £3,076 |
| Gross Expenditure 2023/24 | £231,186 |
Find out more about the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Transport Funding
The LCRCA’s transport responsibilities are funded through transport levies across each of the six councils. This funds concessionary travel, subsidised bus services, the Mersey Ferries and a range of other services.
The transport levy 2023/24 for each of the Merseyside Councils within the LCRCA is:
| 2022/23 Levy | 2023/24 Levy | |
|---|---|---|
| Knowsley | £10,563 | £11,138 |
| Liverpool | £34,669 | £34,821 |
| Sefton | £19,111 | £20,102 |
| St Helens | £12,545 | £13,180 |
| Wirral | £22,464 | £23,042 |
| Total | £99,352 | £102,283 |
Please note that, for historical and legal reasons, Halton Borough Council currently provide transport activities directly within the boundaries of the borough of Halton.
This is funded through a differential transport levy collected by Halton on behalf of the LCRCA which will be £3.3m for 2023/24.
Mayor Steve Rotheram,Metro Mayor Liverpool City Region
Mr John Fogarty, B.A. Hons, C.P.F.A. Director of Corporate Services,Liverpool City Region Mayoral Combined Authority
Supporting other services - Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside
Setting a balanced budget is one of my most important responsibilities. It is my job to ensure Merseyside Police has the money it needs to keep our communities safe and is in the strongest possible position for the year ahead.
In the face of soaring inflation and costs this has been no easy task. The financial position is extremely challenging and has required careful planning and will require the Chief Constable to continue to make savings.
While I was extremely reluctant to ask taxpayers to contribute a little extra to support their police service, I am grateful to have had the support of local people, through my precept consultation, and that of the body which scrutinises my work, the Police and Crime Panel to increase the Council Tax precept.
Even with this hugely valuable contribution there still remains a significant budget gap. In order to bridge this gap, the Chief Constable has agreed to make savings and I plan to utilise reserves and one-off funding to balance the remaining budget. Setting a balanced budget in this way will protect the police service during 2023/24, ensuring that police officer, PCSOs and police staff jobs are protected. Despite all of this, further savings will need to be made in future years if additional funding cannot be secured.
Despite protecting police officer numbers, Merseyside Police is still 450 officers short of the number it had in 2010, before the Government’s austerity programme.
I am focused on doing everything possible to help protect Merseyside Police and to get it back to its former strength. I promise I will continue to lobby Ministers at every chance I get to provide the funding for those missing officers, and I will also work to secure extra funding and grants for our region wherever I can.
I will also hold the Chief Constable to account to ensure we maximise every penny of the budget delivering on the shared priorities set out in my Police and Crime Plan to keep you safe.
Thank you for playing a vital role in helping us to protect our police service.
Emily Spurrell,
Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside
Police and Crime Commissioner budget
How the money is spent:
| 2022/23 | 2023/24 | |
|---|---|---|
| Police Officer Pay | £199.138 million | £203.330 million |
| Police Pensions | £55.631 million | £51.116 million |
| Police Staff Pay | £79.694 million | £87.244 million |
| Police Staff Pensions | £11.429 million | £11.430 million |
| Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner | £1.427 million | £1.539 million |
| PCC Controlled Expenditure | £7.123 million | £9.831 million |
| Other | £59.092 million | £68.633 million |
| Gross Expenditure | £413.534 million | £433.123 million |
How our spending has changed:
| Gross Expenditure 2022/23 | £413.534 million |
|---|---|
| Allowance for Pay Inflation | £12.234 million |
| Full Year Effect of 2022 pay award above original budget | £4.224 million |
| Allowance for Price Inflation | £3.317 million |
| Impact of Price Inflation above 2022/23 Budget | £2.064 million |
| Net Committed Growth (Savings) | (£2.250 million) |
| Gross Expenditure 2023/24 | £433.123 million |
Where the money comes from:
| Source | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|
| Police General Grant | (£286.573 million) | (£287.568 million) |
| Council Tax Grants | (£15.641 million) | (£15.641 million) |
| Council Tax Requirement | (£89.812 million) | (£97.737 million) |
| Collection Fund Deficit / (Surplus) | (£0.472 million) | (£0.368 million) |
| Specific Government Grants | (£15.994 million) | (£23.433 million) |
| Income | (£2.790 million) | (£3.172 million) |
| Net Contribution to/(from) Reserves | (£2.252 million) | (£5.204 million) |
| Total Funding | (£413.534 million) | (£433.123 million) |
Why has the Council Tax requirement changed?
| Council Tax Requirement 2022/23 | (£89.812 million) |
|---|---|
| Increase in tax base | (£2.107 million) |
| Increase in Band D Equivalent | (£5.818 million) |
| Council Tax Requirement 2023/24 | (£97.737 million) |
| 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Increase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax Base (Band D Equivalent properties | 379,001 | 387,892 | 8,891 |
| Increase in Tax Base | £236.97 | £251.97 | £15.00 |
Your contribution:
| 2023/24 | Increase | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax Band A (majority of taxpayers on Merseyside) |
£167.98 | £10.00 |
| Tax Band B | £195.98 | £11.67 |
| Tax Band C | £223.97 | £13.33 |
| Tax Band D | £251.97 | £15.00 |
| Tax Band E | £307.96 | £18.33 |
| Tax Band F | £363.96 | £21.67 |
| Tax Band G | £419.95 | £25.00 |
| Tax Band H | £503.94 | £30.00 |
Contact the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside
Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside
Mather Avenue Training Centre
224 Mather Avenue
Liverpool
L18 9TG
Phone: 0151 777 5155
Email: info@merseysidepcc.info
Find out more about the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside.
How to contact us
You can manage your online account
Or email:
By post:
Council Tax
Wirral Council
PO Box 290
Wallasey
Wirral
CH27 9FQ
Automated 24-hour telephone payment line: 0151 606 2345
Find out all you need to know about Council Tax on our website
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This may include, but not be limited to, matching Council Tax data with Electoral Registration records. The Council may also use the information you provide for the purpose of performing any of its statutory enforcement duties. When necessary we may share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds.