Council budget - 2026

Protect, care and invest to create a better borough.

The Council’s budget is important because it sets out how much money we have available and where we intend to spend it as we protect, care and invest to create a better borough.

The financial challenge

The Government’s fairer funding formula, along with the first multi-year local government finance settlement in over a decade, will see an 8.8% real-term increase in Council spending power for 2026 / 2027, however years of austerity, recovery from the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis mean that making ends meet continues to be challenging for local authorities.

Thanks to sound financial management in Telford and Wrekin, we already have in place a number of income streams that help us continue to deliver vital front-line services, and our budget proposals for 2026 / 2027 recommend further investment in these areas.

Our proposals also include a number of carefully considered savings, which will help us to balance the books.

However, over the last few years we have continued to see huge increases in both the demand and costs associated with delivering vital social care services (which account for 70% of the Council’s revenue spend).

These factors mean that, for 2026 / 2027, we have taken the difficult decision to recommend increasing general council tax, with all of the additional income used to help cover the social care funding gap.

Key points in our Budget

Every year we formally review and set our Budget plans. Our most recent Budget covers the period 2026 / 2027 to 2029 / 2030.

View summaries of the key points in our Budget below:

What happens next?

6 January 2026

Cabinet meets to consider our Budget proposals.

7 January to 3 February 2026

A public four-week consultation will take place on our proposed Budget.

15 January to 20 January 2026

Business and Finance Scrutiny Committee will scrutinise our Budget proposals.

12 February 2026

Cabinet meeting to agree final recommendations to Full Council.

26 February 2026

Final decisions on our Budget and council tax for 2026 / 2027 will be made at the Full Council meeting.