Council tax bills to soar by more than £100 next year, Downing Street confirms
13 November 2024, 20:48 | Updated: 14 November 2024, 10:51
Council tax bills are set to rise by more than £100 next year, Downing Street has confirmed.
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The hike, which will take place in April, is set to see local authorities up the levy by as much as five per cent in some areas.
A move, confirmed by the Prime Minister’s press secretary, will see the levy rise at almost three times the rate of inflation.
Downing Street was forced to clarify its stance on the tax rise after Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pressed Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.
Sir Keir Starmer’s press secretary said on Wednesday that the limit to which councils can raise bills “isn’t changing”, paving the way for increases in bills next year.
The 5 per cent rise will be almost three times above the level of inflation, which is currently 1.7 per cent.
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Council tax increases have been capped in recent years at 2.99 per cent, with an extra 2 per cent increase allowed for councils with social care responsibilities.
Under current rules, councils can increase tax rates by up to 5 per cent and require government permission or a referendum to go beyond this figure.
Speaking at PMQs, Mrs Badenoch asked: "Will the Prime Minister confirm that he will keep the cap on council tax?"
Sir Keir replied: "On the question of councils, she knows what the arrangements are."
Mrs Badenoch responded: "I think the House would have heard that the Prime Minister could neither confirm nor deny whether the cap on council tax was being raised."
It comes as Keir Starmer revealed Britain's new target to slash emissions, but insisted that he won't ask British people to change their lifestyles to achieve it.
The Prime Minister promised to reduce Britain's emissions by 81% compared with 1990 levels by 2035 and urged other countries to put similar national targets in place.
Speaking from Cop29 in Baku, Starmer said that this change would be driven by a promise to move away from fossil fuels for electricity generation by 2030.
