The amount we pay for fire and rescue services across our region is expected to go up in the next year. As local authorities begin to set their budgets for the coming financial year, organisations are continuing to tighten their belts.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority (MFRA) is among those proposing to increase the fee we pay through our council tax to support officers. With the authority’s budget to be finalised next week, members from across the constituent councils have proposed a rise in the precept of £5 for the year 2026/27.
It is thought the fund bump could bring in an additional £2m in the coming 12 months. The proposals come as Liverpool Council indicated it will look to increase council tax by the maximum 5% next year.
According to documents released by MFRA ahead of members convening next Thursday, an increase on the precept of £5 has been mooted.
If the authority wished to hold a referendum and increase the precept by more than this amount, it would face a risk if the electorate voted against the increase, of incurring the expense of re-billing all the districts within Merseyside at an estimated cost of more than £1m.
The £5 increase, which is also assumed for the following two financial years, represents a rise of 5% on council tax bills. This is set against Band D properties with homes valued and put into bands from A to H based on their value in April 1991.
Merseyside’s current 2025/2026 Band D Council Tax of £96.25 is a single penny below the fire and rescue service national average of £96.26. It is expected the increase put forward for the next financial year is unlikely to change this position.
The authority’s financial officers have suggested the precept increase would raise an additional £2.035m, up slightly from the £1.9m generated last year.
Earlier this month, Liverpool Council confirmed it would seek to raise its household rates by the maximum 4.99%.
Last month, it was announced how we won’t be asked to dip any deeper for the upcoming year to fund services provided by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority with the Metro Mayor seeking to freeze the current rate.
In 2025/26 the precept was increased by £5 a year for a Band D property to £24.
A report to members set out how the Combined Authority had been able to maintain its current position.
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