to tell you that tax bills are going to go up next year...and it's probably a good thing

[chomalungma]

Councils are allowed to add an extra 2% on top of the usual rise as long as it goes towards social care.

We need social care funding. An ageing population, more care needs - invest more in social care and it reduces the need for the NHS to get involved.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7815919/Council-tax-bills-set-rise-average-70-year-4-rise-double-inflation-rate.html

"Families were hit with a pre-Christmas bombshell last night after it emerged that average council tax bills could soar by £70 next year.

Ministers revealed they would give town halls the power to put up the levy by 2 per cent in April. On top of this, they will be able to add a further 2 per cent to pay for social care.

This combined 4 per cent increase could result in the average Band D council tax bill going up from £1,750 in 2019/20 to £1,820 next year. Those in more expensive Band H homes could see their bill rising by £140."

I have done a bit of research into this as I found it confusing
For the last 3 years councils have been able to charge an adult social care precept up to a max cumulative total of 6%. Most councils appear to have fully utilised that right. eg 2 yrs at 3% or 3 yrs at 2%.

I assume the Government is proposing to extend the right to charge this precept.

So SOARING by 19p a day MEH.

Ours is around £165 a month Band C social housing.

I’m expecting it to increase by another £5 next year but no issue if it goes to social care where it’s needed.

We have a rising elderly population and increasing numbers of people being diagnosed with dementia. Social care costs will rise and has to e paid for.

I meant £15-20 nit £5

That's interesting, @FoamingAtTheUterus. What sort of area is that, out of curiosity? We're in a rural district, so have 3 tiers of local government to support (county, district and town/parish). Our rates are:

BAND A £1,350.00
BAND B £1,574.00
BAND C £1,799.00
BAND D £2,024.00
BAND E £2,474.00
BAND F £2,924.00
BAND G £3,374.00
BAND H £4,049.00

Plus we pay another £150 or so for the town council, who seem to spend it on the upkeep of the town hall, a cemetery and "administration".

The district decided to make residents of the town pay for a park and an area of open countryside under "special rules", that stuck another £70 on our council tax a couple of years ago. On the rare occasions I walk through the park, I feel like demanding to see ID and telling other park users to fuck off if they're not local. (Which is very childish, but that is how incensed it makes me).

The vast majority of local authority services are statutory. Councils have to provide them and residents need them. Many of them are essential in a civilised society. They should be mainly funded from general taxation, and councils should have the discretion to "top up" funding from council tax if they decided to offer a better level of service. Like they did when the revenue support grant represented around 85% of local authority spending.

Local authorities now spend nearly as much money on long-term care for working-age adults as for older people

Interesting fact from the Kings Fund. As pp noted, not only do we have an ever increasing elderly population, we also have an ever increasing population of people with a range of needs, from birth onwards. Those people also now live longer lives than in previous generations, so will require longer care, and I suspect, have far more complex needs than even this generation does. Sobering thought.

Interesting thread one week after the Tory landslide. Local authorities are chronically underfunded by central government and it has got worse and worse under Tory austerity to the point where many council departments are now at breaking point. The only thing they can do is raise council tax which is unpopular but also regressive because it is not based on income. The poor get poorer, the rich don't even notice. Central government are happy because they can blame local authorities and don't have to face up to the need to raise income tax to properly fund essential public services. If you feel angry about council tax increases, make sure you direct that at Boris and friends not at your local council.

Wouldn't object to paying more IF IT WERE SPENT WISELY.

I don't want there to be a need for food banks. I wanted to cry when my 91yr old mum was refused a blue badge because the bodybuilder nurse could virtually carry her x no of yards. There's no way my 90yr old Dad could have supported her the same way. They dont drive at this age so it was for very occasional trips ie doctor, dentist visit

Do they get bonuses for turning people down?

Would rather pay more tax