Wandsworth Council tax bills could nearly double due to funding cuts

Council tax bills in Wandsworth could nearly double for the average household in 2027/28, according to the Conservative-run council. The proposed increase for a Band D home is approximately £958. The council attributes this steep rise to the Labour Government’s Fair Funding reforms, which it claims will reduce the borough's annual funding by £84 million by shifting resources from affluent areas to more deprived parts of the country.

Wandsworth, once noted for having the lowest council tax in the country, has been granted special dispensation by government ministers to exceed the usual 5% cap on tax increases without a local referendum. Other London boroughs, including Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, City of London, and Hammersmith and Fulham, have also received permission to hike taxes beyond the standard ceiling to address budget deficits.

Local Labour MPs have declined to support Wandsworth Council’s appeal against the funding cuts, stating they cannot support a narrative that shifts responsibility for the current administration's financial choices onto the government. The central government has defended the funding formula changes, arguing that previous models effectively subsidized low-tax areas at the expense of other regions.