Virtually every local authority with responsibility for social care in England plans on raising its council tax by the maximum 4.99% this April, according to new analysis.
The County Councils Network (CCN) found that of the 136 county and unitary local authorities that have so far published budget proposals, 129 (95%) plan to raise their council tax by the maximum permitted.
None of these authorities have declined to propose a council tax rise, with 3.5% the lowest put forward.
CCN vice chair Sam Corcoran said: ‘With council tax now accounting for two thirds of the average county authority’s funding, we have little choice but to take the difficult but necessary decision to raise council tax by 4.99% to continue to protect services and ward off the threat of financial insolvency in the future.
‘No council leader takes the decision to raise council tax lightly as we know this will add to the cost-of-living for residents, but councils have had little choice but to put up council tax due to the increased demands, particularly in children’s services.’
