Council tax charges

What's included in my council tax bill and why?

Watch this short video to help you understand what everything on your bill means and why it is there:

Where does the council's money come from?

Our budget (gross expenditure) this year is £830.5 million. This includes a support package of £19million to ensure the East Riding recovers with confidence from the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year we need to collect 22 per cent of our budget from council tax. This is £182.9  million. 

We have increased the council’s part of the council tax bill by 3.49 per cent.  This includes an increase to the general council tax charge of 1.49 per cent and a separate charge of 2 per cent to contribute towards the rising costs of adult social care.

The table below shows our budget for the year and where our money comes from:

What does my council tax pay for? 

We deliver a vast range of services to people who live and work in the East Riding of Yorkshire and the council tax we collect contributes towards the cost of providing these services.

In 2021/22, we plan to invest over £830m in services for residents, businesses and visitors. This includes:

• over £193m on care services for older people and those with physical and/or learning disabilities. This includes implementing a change programme across adult social care called Your Life Your Way, helping people remain independent for as long as possible.
• over £27m on providing high quality leisure facilities, libraries and the customer service network. 
• over £8m on economic regeneration which supports a range of activities, including £1.2m specific support to enable the high street and businesses to recover from the pandemic.
• £3m of targeted protection for low income families through a year one extension of the Council Tax Hardship Fund.
• spending over £52m on Housing and Public Protection. Over the next five years the council will aim to build 1,000 new housing properties, through the creation of a housing development company. 

There is also a contribution towards services such as drainage and flood defences.

The table below shows how much has been allocated to each service in 2021/22.

How is council tax calculated?

The exact amount of council tax you pay depends on:

• the council tax band for your property 
• the amount we need to raise from council tax to provide council services to the people of East Riding of Yorkshire, including a separate amount for adult social care
• how much we are asked to collect on behalf of Humberside Police, Humberside Fire and Rescue and your local town or parish council (where relevant) 
• any special expenses for services we provide that would normally be provided by a town or parish council.

The table below shows how much of your council tax goes to the council, Humberside Police and Humberside Fire and Rescue. It also shows a separate amount taken for adult social care.  

It does not include any amounts for town or council parish precepts or special expenses. 

What is the increase in council tax?

There are two charges for East Riding of Yorkshire Council on your bill – one charge is for general services and the other is a separate charge called the adult social care precept.

In 2021/22, our council tax charge has increased by a total of 3.49 per cent compared to 2020/21. This consists of a 1.49 per cent increase for general council services and 2 per cent increase for adult social care.

The council has charged an adult social care precept on council tax of 2 per cent in 2016/17, 3 per cent in 2017/18, 3 per cent in 2018/19 0 per cent in 2019/20, 2 per cent in 2020/21 and 2 per cent in 2021/22. The amount for the adult social care precept on your 2021/22 council tax bill is the cumulative charge made since 2016-17. The council is required by Government to show the adult social care precept in this way. This charge helps to fund 10 per cent of the council’s gross adult social care budget in 2021/22.

Each year the Government sets a referendum threshold for council tax increases, meaning that councils that wish to set an increase in excess of this threshold have to put the proposals to a local referendum. For 2021/22, the Secretary of State has set the percentage that council tax can be increased without a referendum as 4.99 per cent. As the council has not exceeded this limit, it means we do not need to hold a referendum. 

The table below shows for each council tax band:

• the East Riding of Yorkshire council charges for general services and adult social care in 2020/21
• how the increase for general services and the adult social care precept is calculated
• the subtotals for general services and adult social care in 2021/22
• the total amount of council tax payable for each band (excluding police, fire and rescue and town and parish council precepts).

What is the adult social care precept?

Adult social care provides care for older and vulnerable people (such as people with a learning or physical disability) in their own homes, or in a residential or nursing care home.

The Government recognises that due to the numbers of people living longer with conditions that require some assistance with daily living, the cost of providing adult social care across the UK is rising.

To help local authorities, like us, generate funds to pay for adult social care, the Government introduced an additional council tax charge in 2016-17. This is called the ‘adult social care precept’ and must be shown as a separate amount on your council tax bill.

Statement concerning adult social care funding

The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has 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 of 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. Approval was granted for the financial year 2021-22.

What are precepts and special expenses?

Police, fire and rescue

Your council tax bill includes a charge for police, fire and rescue services. We are required to collect this on behalf of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside and Humberside Fire and Rescue. You can find out how much of your council tax money is required to provide their services and how the money will be spent in their precept leaflets.

Humberside Police precept (pdf 357kb)

Humberside Fire and Rescue precept (external website)

Town and parish councils

Each town or parish council provides a different level of service based on the individual requirements of the area it serves. This means they are responsible for setting their own budgets and each year they make a request to us to include a charge for their services in your council tax bill.

This charge is known as a ‘precept’ and the precept for the town or parish council you live in is shown as a separate item on your bill.

Town or parish councils that have a budget of £140,000 or more must provide us with detailed budget information and how they are going to spend it. You can access this information below:

Beverley town council precept (pdf 238kb)

Bridlington town council precept (pdf 186kb)

Cottingham parish council precept (pdf 213kb)

Driffield town council precept (pdf 124kb)

Elloughton cum Brough town council precept (pdf 26kb)

Goole town council precept  (pdf 473kb)

Hedon town council precept (pdf 381kb)

Hessle town council precept (pdf 129kb)

Hornsea town council precept (pdf 119kb)

Howden town council precept (pdf 25kb)

Pocklington town council precept (pdf 48kb)

Withernsea town council precept (pdf 82kb)

To find out more about the precepts above, or find out about town or parish councils with a budget less than £140,000, please contact the relevant town or parish clerk.

Use our parish finder to find town or parish council contact details.

Special expenses

Special expenses are charges for services we provide, such as maintenance of parks, open spaces and closed churchyards, which in other areas of the East Riding are provided by town and parish councils. If you want to find out about the special expenses relevant to the area you live in, see below:

Anlaby with Anlaby Common Special Expenses (pdf 68kb)

Beverley Special Expenses (pdf 59kb)

Bridlington Special Expenses (pdf 62kb)

Burton Pidsea Special Expenses (pdf 53kb)

Cottingham Special Expenses (pdf 67kb)

Driffield Special Expenses (pdf 54kb)

Hessle Special Expenses (pdf 43kb)

Hook Special Expenses (pdf 61kb)

Kirk Ella and West Ella Special Expenses (pdf 58kb)

Molescroft Special Expenses (pdf 62kb)

Snaith and Cowick Special Expenses (pdf 71kb)

Woodmansey Special Expenses (pdf 54kb)

What are levies?

The Environmental Agency, Hull and Goole Port Health Authority and Internal Drainage Boards can request money from us for the services they provide in a financial year. This is known as a 'levy'.

Levies are included in your council tax charge but are not detailed separately on your council tax bill.

Environment Agency levies

The Yorkshire region of the Environment Agency has responsibility for flood defence along main rivers and flood defence and the maintenance of the river system in the catchments of the River Severn and River Trent.

The levies on East Riding of Yorkshire Council in 2021/22 total £0.206m, compared to £0.201m in 2020/21.

The gross expenditure and levies of the two regions are detailed in the tables below. 

Midlands and Trent region

Yorkshire region 

The Yorkshire region of the Environmental Agency has responsibility for flood defence along main rivers and sea defence in the Yorkshire region. 

Changes between the years reflects the impact of the Government Spending Review and the national prioritisation of capital projects.

North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NEIFCA)

The North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (NEIFCA) is responsible for managing and conserving marine resources between the River Tyne and North East Lincolnshire.

The authority is made up of 10 local authorities that have part of England's coast within their area, plus members of the Marine Management Organisation, the Environment Agency and Natural England. The total membership of the authority is 30.

Further information can be found on the  NEIFCA website (external website)

Administrative and financial functions are undertaken by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council – one of the member authorities. 

The increase in gross expenditure and the levy requirement for ERYC is due to inflationary pressures.

Hull and Goole Port Health Authority

The Hull & Goole Port Health Authority is a Joint Board local authority partnership originally constituted as the Hull & Goole Port Sanitary Authority on 11 June 1887 by virtue of a Statutory Instrument (Port Order) by Parliament.

The foremost objective is the protection of public, animal and environmental health.

Additional costs are due to the extensive additional staff, resources and equipment required for the transition to the new EU food import checks, which are being phased in from 1 January 2021.

Internal drainage boards (IDB) 

An internal drainage board (IDB) is a type of operating authority which is established in areas of special drainage need in England and Wales with permissive powers to undertake work to secure clean water drainage and water level management within drainage districts. The area of an IDB is not determined by county or council boundaries, but by water catchment areas within a given region.

Beverley and North Holderness and Foss IDB

Beverley and North Holderness IDB and Foss IDB are managed by the York Consortium of Drainage Boards:

York Consortium Drainage Boards (external website)

Refer to the tables below for their gross expenditure and levy requirements.

Beverley and North Holderness IDB

The Boards income of rates and levies has a small increase to cover increasing costs of providing its maintenance programme.

Foss IDB

The Boards income of rates and levies has a small increase to cover increasing costs of providing its maintenance programme.

Shire Group of IDBs 

The following IDBs are managed by Yorkshire Humber Drainage:

Shire Group of IDBs (external website)

Goole Fields District Drainage Board

Goole and Airmyn substation 1 and 2

Yorkshire and Humber Drainage Boards

The following IDBs are now managed by Yorkshire & Humber Drainage Boards: Black Drain, Cowick & Snaith, Danvm, Dempster, Ouse and Humber, Rawcliffe, Reedness and Swinefleet.

Black Drain Drainage Board

Cowick and Snaith

Danvm Drainage Commissioners

Dempster

Ouse and Humber Drainage Board

Rawcliffe

Reedness and Swinefleet

Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire

This Internal Drainage Board is managed by the Ouse and Humber Drainage Board. The large increase is in relation to a number of Engineering projects/schemes that are in urgent need of refurbishment. These project costs have increased from £318,700 in 20/21 to £2,401,700 in 21/22. For more information please visit  www.wmc-idbs.org.uk

Isle of Axholme & North Nottinghamshire

South Holderness IDB 

More information about this IDB is available by emailing  info@southholdernessidb.co.uk

Thorntree IDB 

The levy has an increase from 2020/21 due to increased running costs of the Board’s pumps.

Can I find out any additional Information about council tax?

The reverse of your council tax bill, has various information about how to pay, and make changes to your council tax account online:

Reverse of your council tax bill (pdf 132kb)

My property is empty why do I have to pay council tax when I don’t live there? 

When a property is unoccupied and unfurnished, you will get charged 100 per cent of your council tax. Councils are allowed to charge an additional amount above the 100 per cent charge, to encourage owners to bring properties back into use.

On top of the 100 per cent charge, you will get charged an empty home premium which is an additional amount depending on how long the property is empty. 

From 1 April 2021, the council has determined that properties that have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for ten years or more, will be subject to a 300 per cent premium. This means that the council tax payer will have to pay  400 per cent of the council tax charge. The council will write to those who will be affected by the changes.

Those properties that have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for between two and five years will remain subject to a 100 per cent premium, and those that have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for between five and ten years  will remain subject to a 200 per cent premium. Once a property has been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for ten years or more, the 300 per cent premium will then apply and be automatically calculated.