MERRY XMAS! COUNCIL TAX BILLS UP£100
MILLIONS of families face an inflation-busting rise in council tax that will add more than £100 to average bills.
Just days before Christmas, town halls were told they could increase levies by 6 per cent from April. On top of this, police and crime commissioners will be able to impose an extra £12 per household. It means a potential rise of £107 for an average Band D property, taking annual bills from £1,591 to as much as £1,698 next year.
Those living in Band E homes face a jump of up to £129, with an increase as high as £203 for owners of the most expensive Band H houses. It will be the biggest single-year increase in council tax since the 11.4 per cent rise in 2003/4 when Tony Blair was in power. However, it is still less than many council leaders wanted.
Last night Tory MPs hit out at the increase, which came after ministers relaxed rules to help fund social care, local services and policing. Andrew Bridgen said: ‘Both national and local
government need to remember they are the servants of the people, not their masters. they should bear in mind that all money is taxpayers’ money, and that they will be held accountable for tax rises and value for money at the ballot box.’
Jacob rees-Mogg added: ‘there is pressure on the social care budget but a potential 6 per cent rise will be especially difficult for people on fixed incomes.’
and Bob Blackman, a member of the Commons local government committee, said: ‘it is not a happy Christmas message to see for hard-pressed council tax payers.’ the new tax-raising powers for councils were unveiled by Communities secretary sajid Javid yesterday.
Last year, councils were allowed to raise bills by only 5 per cent. any further increase was allowed only after a referendum of local voters.
authorities were told 3 per cent of the rise must go specifically towards social care. yesterday’s announcement allows a further 1 per cent, taking bills up by 6 per cent – twice the rate of inflation and three times the rate of wage growth.
Last night the Local Government association, which represents councils, demanded that the referendum rule be scrapped, allowing town halls to put up bills as high as they want. LGA chairman Lord Porter, a tory peer, warned councils were near ‘financial breaking point’.
Margaret Willcox, of the association of directors of adult social services, said even a 1 per cent rise was ‘woefully inadequate’ to address a crisis in social care.
if all 43 police forces in england and Wales raise the precept by £12 for each Band d household, it will generate a total of £270million. Critics blasted the move as a ‘stealth council tax rise’ at a time when total crimes recorded by police have risen to 5.2million, the highest for a decade.
Mr Javid told MPs the rise gives police bosses the chance to raise an extra £139million next year to meet ‘ local demand pressures’.
But John o’Connell, of the taxpayers’ alliance, said: ‘ With wage growth stagnating and the cost of living on the rise, it beggars belief that politicians are asking for powers to take even more of people’s hardearned money.
‘ in the meantime, police forces should ditch gimmicks like painting their fingernails for social media posts and instead prioritise protecting people from real harm.’
Police chiefs have claimed deep spending cuts have harmed the ability to deal with the unprecedented terror threat. downing street said ministers believed the tax rise struck the ‘right balance’ between funding local services and minimising pressures on family finances.