Doncaster Council tax rise confirmed

Doncaster Council yesterday backed proposals which will see an extra two per cent put on bills for adult social care, and 1,9 per cent on the general council tax bill.

This would mean a total rise of £47.49 per year or 92p a week for a Band D property.

Band A properties make up almost 60 per cent of houses in Doncaster. The Council Tax rise would equate to 61p per week or £31.66 per year.

The Government has recently increased its proposed ‘social care precept’ on Council Tax from two to three per cent, to raise more money from local residents to deal with the rising pressures on adult social care. This is in addition to the basic two percent limit on Council Tax and would have seen total Council Tax rise by up to five percent. But the council decided against to passing on the full increase to local people.

Mayor Ros Jones said: “In November I published our draft budget and I am determined that we stick with the plan already set out, so there are no further surprises despite the Government proposal to further raise Council Tax.”

The council is taking up up two percent of the ‘social care precept’ to help counter the rising costs of adult social care – over a third of the council’s total spend – and meeting the costs of the national living wage.

The council says Doncaster will still have one of the lowest council taxes in councils of its size in England and the lowest in South Yorkshire.

Council tax income makes up 21 per cent of the money the council receives – government funding, fees and charges and other income and business rates make up the vast majority of funding.

There will be a one percent cut in council house rents from April 2017, part of a national agreement.

The next 12 months from April 2017 will mean the local authority must reduce its spending by £23.5m to keep the financial plan on track and balance the books.