Sandwell Council tax bills set to increase

Chiefs say they have been left with no option as they seek to deal with year-on-year budget cuts as well as the rising costs of adult social care.

A proposed council tax rise of 1.99 per cent, plus an additional two per cent to help fund adult social care services, will be put before councillors at a full council meeting today ahead of the formal budget setting in March.

This proposed rise of 3.99 per cent works out at an extra 60p to 80p a week - or between £30 and £40 annually - in council tax for the majority of Sandwell residents.

Council bosses laid the rise firmly at the door of the Conservative government, which has scrapped a 'freeze grant' that was available over the past five years to councils that froze council tax.

Deputy leader and cabinet member for finances Councillor Steve Eling said: "We never want to increase the bills our residents have to pay, but the government has left us with no alternative.

"We've managed to freeze council tax for the past five years – and would have done so again had the government not scrapped its freeze grant and put new pressures on local councils to fund adult social care services.

"In its announcement on funding for Sandwell for the next financial year, the government has assumed council tax bills will be increased by both inflation and two per cent for social care.

"But at the same time, they have cut their revenue support grant to Sandwell by another £20 million.

"Even with this increase, government cuts will continue to put council services under massive pressure, but we are committed to doing everything we can to maintain the best quality services that we are able to.

"However, it must be recognised that services have already been cut to the bone and inevitably further cuts will result in the chopping off of limbs unless we can find replacement money through other means."

UKIP Councillor Philip Garrett said he accepted the authority had difficult decisions to make and his main 'frustration' was at the government.

He told the Express & Star: "I can understand why the council has had to do this with the heavy cuts that are coming.

"They've got to look at how to raise money and need to find income from somewhere.

"I think the majority of my frustration is actually aimed at central government as they have passed the buck to local authorities and given them very little choice.

"Adult social care does need protecting so I can accept raising council tax for that.

"But why raise it by another 1.99 per cent on top?

"Couldn't they have stopped at just two per cent?

"In effect the council has introduced two raises in one, so that's a bitter pill to swallow."