Why is my council tax rising and how is it spent?

Council tax bills across Sussex are rising by more than £100 compared with last year for an average home

Our council tax bills for the next 12 months are about to arrive and throughout Sussex they are going up by more than £100 compared with last year for an average home.

Almost every authority has gone for the highest rise it is allowed to make without having to ask for special permission from the government and consulting residents.

Some leaders say they believe there is now an "expectation" from the government that they will go for the highest increase to help balance their budget and maintain services.

The government said it was "fixing the foundations of local government" and had given councils an additional £69bn for the next year.

How much is my bill going up?

Exactly how much you pay in council tax depends on where you live, how large your home is and how many people live there.

East Sussex and West Sussex county councils and Brighton & Hove City Council have all raised bills by 4.99%.

Almost all boroughs and districts have made an increase of 2.99%.

Only Mid Sussex District Council (2.95%) and Horsham District Council (2.74%) have stopped short of the maximum rise.

Leaders of all our authorities have said they were facing extremely difficult financial circumstances.

In general, council tax bills in Sussex remain relatively low compared with other parts of the country.

Where does my money go?

The majority of what we pay – just over three-quarters – goes to either East or West Sussex County Council or Brighton & Hove City Council.

The authorities spend it on services like social care and education, transport, public health, libraries, major infrastructure planning and managing waste.

But our council tax payments only make up about a third of the county council budgets – and about a fifth in Brighton and Hove.

The rest comes from government grants, business rates and other income such as rent and parking charges.

Leaders have said increasing demand and costs for social care is putting unprecedented pressure on their budgets.

Leaders of councils responsible for social care say increasing demand and soaring costs make it the biggest pressure on their budget

If you have a local borough or district council, almost 10% of your bill goes to them to help manage services such as housing and planning, collecting and recycling our rubbish and managing benefits and business rates.

Some councils, such as Eastbourne, Hastings and Crawley, said rising demand for temporary accommodation had significantly increased their spending.

If you have a parish council, about 3% goes to parish councils which represent community views and manage local facilities like allotments and recreation areas.

In Brighton and Hove, the city council is responsible for all local services, but there is one parish council in Rottingdean and in some 'enclosed' areas of the city centre, such as Hanover Crescent, an extra charge is added.

Police - and fire and rescue

Wherever you are in Sussex about 11% of council tax goes on policing.

The precept, the amount they charge, is set by the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner who determines the force's budget need.

This year an increase of 5.5% has added £14 onto the average annual bill.

Around 4.5% of our payment goes to fire and rescue services.

In East Sussex the fire authority sets its own part of the bill, but in West Sussex it comes under the county council precept.

Paying your bill

Your council tax bill can be paid in one lump sum or in monthly direct debit payments throughout the year.

There are a number of ways to pay which are listed in your bill.

It's a statutory tax which residents are legally obliged to pay under the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

Residents living alone receive a 25% discount on their bill and those on the lowest incomes can get significant discounts of up to 100%.

If we don't pay we can be summoned to court with a maximum penalty of up to three months in prison.