‘When our reserves go, just about everything else stops’

come up with is bins, then they might talk about roads then schools.

“Very low down their realisation is social care.

“When we start switching the funds off to all other organisations, the very last one, and we would be really desperate, will be social care.”

A report into the social care crisis in the UK found an extra £1.1bn was needed to sustain services last year.

In response the government launched a new policy allowing a 3% social care precept on top of council tax.

It will see Kirklees ‘rates’ shoot up by 10% over the next two years – 6% of which is purely to fund social care.

But councils have said the hefty local tax will still leave them without enough money. Clr Sheard added: “We’ve got to emphasise that everyone is calling for the government to fund social care but putting it on the rates is not the way to do it.

“A 3% rate rise for Westminster will probably achieve a damn site more than a 3% rate rise for Kirklees. “We’ve got to change the agenda and stop people thinking this council is just about emptying bins and cutting grass. It’s about looking after people.

“This is a budget that none of us want to do and has many parts that are disastrous for us.”

Opposition groups are allowed to suggest amendments but it is not expected that any major changes will be made to the Labour run council’s plans.

The budget meeting begins at Huddersfield Town Hall at 6pm on Wednesday. The council is spending its reserves at a rate of £800,000 a week – with them forecast to run out in a little over 18 months.