Taxpayers in England could see their council tax bills increase by more than £100 a year.
This is the maximum that local authorities can raise bills without holding a referendum on the issue. This would increase the average bill for a Band D property from £2,065 a year to £2,618 a year, an increase of £103.
There have been reports some struggling councils could increase bills by 10 percent, including Birmingham and Nottingham, which both issued a Section 114 notice last year, effectively declaring bankruptcy.
For Birmingham, a 10 percent hike would increase the bill for a Band D property from the current £1,905.73 a year to £2,096.30 a year, an increase of £190.57 a year. Some parts of the city have to pay an extra precept on top of these basic amounts.
In Nottingham, such an increase would see bills for a Band D home increase from £2,411.65 a month to £2,652 a year, an increase of £241.16.
Many councils have now published proposals for how much they would increase council tax over the coming financial year.
Proposals for council tax increases for 2024-2025
North East
- North Tyneside – 5 percent
- Darlington – 4.99 percent
- Sunderland – 4.99 percent
- Newcastle – 4.99 percent
- Leeds – 4.99 percent
- York – 4.99 percent
- Liverpool – 4.99 percent
- Cumberland – 5 percent
South East
- Swale – 2.99 perent
- Cambridgeshire – 5 percent
- Surrey – 4.99 percent
- West Sussex – 4.99 percent
- East Sussex – 4.99 percent
- Essex – 4.99 percent
- Norfolk – 4.99 percent
- Buckinghamshire – 4.99 percent
- Southend – 4.99 percent
South East
South West
- Cornwall – 5 percent
- Dorset – 5 percent
- Somerset – 10 percent
- West Devon – 2.99 percent
A survey from the Local Government Association found almost one in five councils think it is likely they will have to issue a section 114 notice due to a shortfall in funding.
Councillor Shaun Davies, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “No council is now immune to the growing risk to their financial sustainability.
“The Government urgently needs to address the growing financial crisis facing councils and come up with a long-term plan to sufficiently fund local services through multi-year settlements.”
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