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Benefits and Council Tax

Council Tax bill explained

In this section you will find the following information:
In this section
Council Tax bill explained

You pay Council Tax to five different organisations. Each one charges a different amount for their services.

These different amounts are added together to make your total Council Tax bill. Malvern Hills District Council is responsible for collecting the money and passing it on to these other organisations.

Paying the right level of Council Tax: a plain English guide to Council Tax.

Who you pay Council Tax to

You pay Council Tax to five different organisations. Each one charges a different amount for their services. These different amounts are added together to make your total Council Tax bill. We are responsible for collecting the money and passing it on to these other organisations.

For 2026/27, in this area you pay Council Tax to:

Malvern Hills District Council

We keep just 7.4p in every pound you give us in Council Tax. This funds services including waste and recycling collections, planning services, business support, housing, parks, public toilets, leisure centres, Malvern Theatres and much more. 

Worcestershire County Council

71.8p in every pound - About 72% of your total Council Tax bill goes to Worcestershire County Council. This pays for services including, but not limited to, adult social care, looked after children, road and path maintenance, libraries and waste disposal.

For council tax and budget information relating to Worcestershire County Council, please visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/counciltax

West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner

12.5p in every pound - Your Council Tax helps to fight crime and keep communities safe.

Budget | West Mercia PCC

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service

4.4p in every pound - Your money helps to support the work of this service including tackling fires, dealing with road traffic collisions and responding to major emergencies like flooding.

Council Tax | Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service

Town/parish council

3.8p in every pound- Every area in Malvern Hills District has a town or parish council. The services they run vary but they can include parks/playgrounds, allotments, cemeteries, bus shelters, Christmas lights and they also comment on planning applications.

How your Council Tax is used

Below are just some of the ways we have used your money to look after and improve the district this financial year so far (1 April to 31 December 2025).

  • Reached 1,699 Adopt-a-Street volunteers and 457 Green Dog Walkers 
  • Dealt with 1,003 reported incidents of environmental crime  
  • Cleared 259 fly-tips 
  • Emptied more than 1.5mn bins in the district, collecting 11.6k tonnes of residual waste and just under 9k tonnes of recycling 
  • Helped deliver more than 50 affordable homes
  • Supported 494 households approaching us as at risk of homelessness 
  • 156 local businesses have received support and grants to develop and grow
  • Allocated a share of £1.9mn of investment to 48 local projects through our Community Facility Legacy Grant Scheme
  • The 2025/26 UK Shared Prosperity Funded (UKSPF) budget of £830k has targeted investment across Business Support, Business Grants, Skills, Town Centre Regeneration, Rural Growth, Arts, Community support and the Visitor Economy, including tourism, events and promotion
  • 15 rural business projects have been allocated funding with 5 now completed, representing £88k spend of the £250k budget. The final 10 are on track to complete by March 2026.
  • Continued the shift to Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil into all compatible waste fleet vehicles, with now 93% HVO being used by volume, dramatically reducing the amount of CO2e we are producing 
  • ·     Provided additional financial support totalling £238k to over 200 households, enabling them to remain in their homes or move to suitable accommodation.
  • Continued to deliver the £20mn Levelling Up funding at Malvern Theatres, not just to enrich the range of shows on offer, but also to increase community use of the theatres and to provide opportunities for participation in the arts
  • Determined 556 planning applications 
  • Supported more than 4,000 visitors at our reception in the Council House 

Help to pay your Council Tax bill

Depending on your circumstances you may qualify for help with paying your Council Tax bill. Visit our Council Tax Support page for more information. You may also qualify for certain discounts and exemptions on your Council Tax bill.

Get your Council Tax bill by email or pay online

You can now get your Council Tax bill straight to your inbox as well as make payments online and by signing up for a self-service account.

Council Tax update from Valuation Office Agency

In a typical year, the VOA deals with around half a million Council Tax cases. This year, we are balancing delivery of our existing services with new work, alongside the introduction of a new IT system which will improve service to our customers.

While we have tried to limit any effect on our service, some cases are currently taking longer than usual for us to progress.

We understand the impact that taking longer to provide a decision on your case can have. We’re working hard to reduce this time and we thank our customers for their patience.

The current timescales for band challenges can be found on GOV.UK. The timescales for other types of Council Tax casework are in line with this, including:

  • allocating bands to new properties
  • splitting and merging properties
  • moving properties between the Council Tax and business rates lists

Before contacting us about Council Tax, you should refer to our guidance on how to:

Contact the VOA - GOV.UK

Take a look at videos from the VOA for more information.

Check your Council Tax band

You can check your Council Tax band or rate by putting your postcode into our My Local Area database.

Annual Charges for Malvern Hills District Council 2026/27

spreadsheet Annual Charges 2026/27  (26 KB)