Council Tax
Councillors fear blame for looming tax rise
Senior councillors have expressed fears they will be blamed for raising council tax amid a false perception that the Government has sorted social care.
Age UK warns 10% council tax hike would still not fix care
Charity Age UK has warned council tax would need to go up by another 10% next year just to allow social care to ‘stand still’.
Raising council tax is a 'threat' not an opportunity, says Whiteman
Government plans to give councils the option to raise council feels more like a ‘threat’ than an opportunity, finance expert Rob Whiteman has said.
Counties in council tax warning
County leaders have warned council tax bills would have to rise by a fifth over three years to get close to eliminating their deficits.
Hampshire hamstrung by social care cost pressures
Hampshire CC has revealed social care cost pressures are costing it more than double the value of government grant and the council tax precept.
Councils must recognise the threat to locally delivered social care
The local government sector, and the bodies which represent it, need to switch from a stance that welcomes small steps to one that recognises the existential threat that locally delivered social care now faces, argues Jessica Studdert.
Local services face £8bn funding black hole by 2024, councils warn
Council tax will have to rise by more than a quarter in the next three years to cover the shortfall in funding for local services, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned today.
Expect tax double whammy on residents to pay for social care
After a long wait, the Government’s announcements offer nothing for local authorities or the care sector, says Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton.
How to address tax arrears sustainably
Civica's Paul Rudd discusses three steps councils can take when dealing with the pandemic’s impact on tax arrears.
Future funding for local government has never been so uncertain
Many will be hoping that big ministerial changes will mean progress on big issues including levelling up, says Dan Bates. But he would settle for more clarity in one key area for local government.
IPPR calls for new ‘proportional’ property charge to replace council tax
The Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) has called for a new ‘proportional’ property tax to replace the ‘unfair and outdated’ council tax.
Social care plan is quickly losing its sheen
The Government has a plan for asset protection but still does not have a proper plan for social care, says Richard Humphries. ‘No wonder so many involved in social care are so deeply disappointed.’
Council tax urgently needs updating
Lorna Baxter says that while council tax is not a broken tax it is one that 'urgently needs updating with extensions and flexibilities before it becomes so obsolete that it loses its credibility'.
Welsh Government looks at holiday home reforms
Holiday home owners in Wales could be charged the full amount of business rates amid claims people are being priced out of their local area.
Counting the costs of council tax support
Council tax support scheme costs have grown by 16% in London during the pandemic. Deven Ghelani says it’s unclear how councils will cover the rise once Government COVID-related funding comes to an end.
The use of ‘Primary Residence’ restrictions and Housing Supply
Gareth Pinwell believes primary residence restrictions will not operate in a way that resolves the housing supply issues facing local authorities. Other options should be considered, he says.
Reflecting on our financial sustainability story
Adele Taylor says that in a year when income, expenditure and support from central Government 'has never been more unpredictable and volatile, we ended up in a better position than we may have imagined'.
Tax ‘loophole’ costs councils £110m
New research suggests business rates relief for holiday lets is currently worth £110m a year.
District cancels 700 court summonses
Harborough DC has apologised to residents after issuing hundreds of court summonses for unpaid council tax in error.
Charity working for council to cut 500 jobs
The charity delivering cultural and leisure services in Glasgow on behalf of the city council is planning to cut 500 jobs over the next few years as a result of the pandemic.
