COUNCIL TAX BAND D IS SET TO TOP £2,000
COUNCIL tax bills for a standard Band D home are set to top the £2,000 mark for the first time.
The huge charges in some parts of England from April come after years of cuts to services and social care.
Tory-run Rutland council, for example, is set to increase bills from £1,936 to £2,043.
Resident Bev Smith, 71, of Uppingham, said: “I’m gobsmacked we are going to be
paying £2,000. It’s getting too much.” The authority’s chief, Gordon Brown, blamed central government cuts, which he said had slashed almost £4billion from budgets since 2015. Mirror research shows Band D bills are also set to top £2,000 in Wealden and Lewes, East Sussex, and Hartlepool. Our data suggests the average Band D bill will rise £72 to above £1,700.
Labour’s Shadow Local Government Secretary Andrew Gwynne said: “This staggering increase is a direct result of cuts – meaning residents are paying more for less.”
But a government spokesman insisted: “Councils are responsible for managing their own resources.”
See how much your council tax is set to rise at mirror.co.uk/counciltax.
THIS April, households across England will see their council tax bill rise yet again.
Band D properties are facing average increases of £72 a year – taking many homes over the £2,000 threshold for the first time.
The responsibility lies not with local authorities but the Conservative Government.
Since 2010, the Tories have cut local government funding by 38%. As a result, cashstrapped councils have been forced to cut back on all but the most essential services.
Sports facilities, libraries and Sure Start centres have been closed. Now councils either have to raise taxes or start cutting vital services such as social care and child protection.
When your council tax bill lands on April 1, remember this is not the fault of your local council. You are paying the price for years of under-funding by this Tory administration.