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Council Tax Collection

5 stories · discussed at 3 council meetings · 6 councils

Brent Council's council tax collection rate is currently under scrutiny for lagging behind the London average, while Barking and Dagenham saw a dip due to policy changes.

Brent Council's council tax collection rate is currently lagging behind the London average, with figures presented to the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee in October 2026 showing 52.2% of the £254.5 million due for the year collected by the end of September. This places Brent 32nd out of 33 London boroughs, significantly below the London average of 94.33%. Despite this, the council's Cabinet noted improvements in collection in July 2026.

Meanwhile, Barking and Dagenham experienced a 0.5% dip in council tax collection in the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, a reduction of £577,000 in collected revenue. A story in March 2026 attributed this decline to changes in the Council Tax Support scheme, which increased the council tax burden on low-income households.

Council tax collection is the process by which local authorities gather property taxes from residents, including monitoring the rate at which these payments are collected. In July 2025, a Strategic Delivery and Performance Report revealed that Tower Hamlets was falling short of its targets for council tax collection.

Key facts

  1. Brent Council's council tax collection rate was 52.2% by the end of September 2026, trailing the London average of 94.33%. Source
  2. Brent Council had collected £132.8 million of the £254.5 million council tax due for the year by the end of September 2026. Source
  3. Barking and Dagenham's council tax collection decreased by 0.5% in the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, a reduction of £577,000. Source
  4. Changes to Barking and Dagenham's Council Tax Support scheme increased the amount charged to low-income residents from £6.5 million in 2024/25 to £10.3 million in 2025/26. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 21 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Latest stories

  1. Brent council tax collection trails London average despite improvements **Brent Council's council tax collection rate is lagging behind the London average, despite recent improvements, according to a performance report. Brent 21 October 2026
  2. Brent Council Projects £18.3m Overspend in 2025-26 Due to Social Care and Homelessness Pressures Brent Council is facing a projected £18.3 million overspend for the 2025-26 financial year, primarily driven by significant pressures in adult social care and homelessness... Brent 29 July 2026
  3. Bexley Council forecasts £1.36m budget overspend, citing improved financial position Bexley Council is forecasting a budget overspend of £1.361 million for the financial year 2025/26, representing less than half a percent of its total net revenue budget of just... Bexley 11 April 2026
  4. Council Tax Collection Decreases in Barking and Dagenham Due to Increased Charges for Low-Income Households Council tax collection in Barking and Dagenham experienced a 0.5% dip in the third quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, a reduction of £577,000 in collected revenue compared... Barking and Dagenham 26 March 2026
  5. Tower Hamlets Struggles with Recycling Rates and Council Tax Collection, Performance Report Reveals Tower Hamlets faces challenges in key areas, including recycling rates and council tax collection, according to the latest performance report. The council's investment balance,... Tower Hamlets 23 July 2025