Social services and teachers pay blamed for council tax rises

Social services and increasing costs from teachers’ pay, have
been blamed for council tax rises by local authority leaders.

Sir Jeremy Beecham, chairperson of the Local Government
Association, said the rise in taxes, which increases a Band D
dwelling by 6.4 per cent to £901, can be “laid firmly at the
feet” of increased costs to local authorities from policies that
local government has little control over.

Beecham said: “The LGA has already stressed to ministers the
additional costs of personal social services to local authorities.
Because of the degree of government control over council funding, a
6.4 per cent increase in council tax reflects an increase in
council budgets of only around 1.5 per cent.”