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The change effects working age households who receive CTR. Pensioner-age households are not affected and will receive the same level of reduction as they do now.
To help cushion the impact, the council will provide additional support through a hardship fund. On average, eligible working age households will pay around £5.44 more per month, though the exact amount will vary.
A public consultation ran for six weeks between November 2025 and January 2026. Following feedback, councillors agreed a smaller change than first proposed and reduced the planned saving to the council from £513,000 to £242,000.
CTR support for eligible working-age households will reduce by 8% across all income bands.
North Somerset has around 102,000 households and CTR supports around 6,100 working age households (about 6%).
Cllr Mike Bell, Leader of North Somerset Council said: "We know many households are under real financial pressure. We have tried to keep support in place while also balancing the rising cost and demand for local services. Alongside these pressures, the council is facing a £19m reduction in government funding.
"After listening to residents, councillors agreed a smaller change than first proposed and we are putting extra money into a hardship fund to help people who will struggle to pay.
“Council tax for North Somerset Council services in 2026/27 is increasing by 8.99%, and we know this will be difficult for some households. If you are worried about paying your bill, help is available and we encourage you to check what you may be entitled to on the council website or through local advice services."
To cushion the change to CTR, the council is contributing £371,200 to a hardship fund for households who will be affected. This will help to reduce the impact of higher bills on households with the lowest incomes.
Anyone already receiving Council Tax Reduction who still can’t afford their remaining bill may also be eligible for help from the council’s Crisis and Resilience Fund or Welfare Provision Schemes, which provide additional discretionary support in crisis situations.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund can support households with energy and water costs, food, essentials linked to energy and water such as boiler repairs, blankets and white goods, wider essentials such as phone and broadband, clothing and transport and housing costs (in exceptional circumstances only).
The Crisis and Resilience Fund will also provide vouchers automatically to some households (no application needed):
- Working-age CTR households will receive two £37.50 retail vouchers.
- Pension-age CTR households will receive one £37.50 retail voucher.
- A £37.50 retail voucher will also automatically be provided to all housing benefit claimants who are not eligible for Council Tax Reduction, people with severe mental impairment (SMI), people covered under Court of Protection and care leavers. It is estimated this will apply to over 900 households.
- Children who receive free school meals will also receive a £75 food voucher through the Crisis and Resilience Fund. This is estimated to benefit around 5,200 children in North Somerset.
Free school meals continue to be provided in schools to eligible children. During school holidays, they can also benefit from free holiday activities along with free meals. Please visit Holiday, activities and food (HAF) programme | North Somerset Council for further detail.
For more information about North Somerset Council’s council tax reduction scheme and its Discretionary Hardship Fund, including how to apply, please visit Council Tax Reduction | North Somerset Council.
Advice services are available, including an online benefit checking tool which helps residents find out if they are eligible for financial support. Visit Our benefits calculator | North Somerset Council
Support is available for anyone struggling to pay council tax or other bills at: Benefits and support | NorSomerset Council.