COUNCIL TAX has been increased by 3.99 percent in Wiltshire.
This means that once costs for fire and police are added in, the average bill will go up by around £80 a year.
This will include a two per cent ‘social levy’, which is ringfenced for care for the elderly and vulnerable adults.
The levy is being used to meet the rising demand on adult care services, which is caused by an ageing population in the county.
The 85 to 95 year old age group is set to see the highest increase in Wiltshire, prompting claims by councillors at the full council meeting on Tuesday, that while year on year spend is increasing by £14m, it is not outstripping demand on budget pressures.
Council leader Phillip Whitehead said: “Our problem is our basic service areas are growing at a faster rate than our budget is.”
The rise, is more than double the rate of inflation which currently stands at 1.5 per cent.
The council also voted to increase council house rents by 2.7 percent making average rents £520 per month.
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