Residents of South Cambridgeshire are thanked by councillors for their support of vital frontline services – after the District Council was named the second top District Council nationally for collecting Council Tax.
The government statistics for collection rates show South Cambridgeshire District Council collected 99.23% of the Council Tax funds it was due to in the 2024/25 financial year – helping to fund essential services such as social care, waste collections, police and fire services, education, homelessness prevention, some local bus services and much more.
When considering all councils, the total collection rate across England was 95.88%.
By 31 March 2025, the Council had collected a total of £156,428,000 during the previous 12 months. As a result, South Cambridgeshire District Council is the second top performing District Council out of around 300 tax-collecting authorities in England.
Council Tax is collected by South Cambridgeshire District Council on behalf of the Police, Fire Service, County Council, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and Parish and Town Councils.
Only around 7.5% of residents’ annual Council Tax bill goes towards services which the District Council provides – such as emptying bins, determining planning applications and homelessness support, with the rest being passed to the other organisations.
South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Resources, Cllr John Williams, said: “A huge thank you to residents of South Cambridgeshire for doing their part to keep important local services running. The District Council is the collecting body for Council Tax, but we pass most of the money on to other Council’s and emergency services. For the average band D house, South Cambridgeshire District Council retains £175.40 a year from the whole Council Tax bill, which is one of the lowest charges in the country.
We fully recognise the ongoing cost of living challenges and remain committed to supporting our residents. If you're struggling to pay your Council Tax, please reach out to us as early as possible. We can help by arranging payment plans and exploring available financial support, such as our Localised Council Tax Support Scheme for those who qualify. We're here to help, and the sooner we know, the more options we may be able to offer."
The Government figures also show that South Cambridgeshire District Council collected 99.2% of the Business Rates that it was due to collect from local companies during the 2024/25 financial year – a total of £122,553,000.
Support is available for residents struggling to meet Council Tax payments. Visit the South Cambridgeshire District Council website for details. South Cambridgeshire residents can also sign-up to receive their Council Tax bill online.
See the Government website for a full breakdown of the Council Tax and Business Rates collection rates – and specifically ‘Table 6: Council tax and non-domestic rates - collection amounts and rates, 2023-24 and 2024-25’
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