North East Lincolnshire council tax payers face rise of nearly 3%

North East Lincolnshire Council's budget will see £131.6m spent across public services in the next financial year

People living in North East Lincolnshire are to pay nearly 3% more on their council tax bills from April.

The Conservative-controlled authority agreed a 1.98% tax rise, together with a 1% increase in the adult social care precept, at Thursday's budget meeting.

The rise would see £131.6m spent across public services in the next financial year, the council said.

But the Labour opposition said the tax hike would fail residents already being squeezed by the rising cost of living.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a total of £5.4m of the cash for public services was expected to go towards the authority's troubled children's services department.

North East Lincolnshire Council leader Philip Jackson said the tax rise which had been approved was "below the rate of inflation, lower than last year's increase, and a smaller increase than many upper-tier councils of all political colours up and down the country".

But Labour group leader Councillor Matthew Patrick criticised the rise, saying people were finding themselves "in the most vulnerable position of their lives due to the cost of living crisis".

"We will be counting both the financial cost and the human cost," he added.

Earlier this month, the government announced a £150 council tax rebate for people living in properties in bands A to D to help with the rising cost of living, a rebate which would apply to 95% of homes in North East Lincolnshire.

North Lincolnshire Council says its tax rise of 0.89% is below inflation levels

Elsewhere, councils in Hull and North Lincolnshire have also approved tax increases.

North Lincolnshire's council tax will rise by 0.89%, which is below the level of inflation, while the adult social care precept is to go up by 2% from April.

More than 80% of the £170m budget for 2022-23 would be spent on vulnerable children, families, older people and residents with disabilities, the authority said.

Meanwhile, in Hull, councillors agreed a 2.99% tax hike and a 1% increase in the adult social care precept.

It means people living in a Band A property will pay an extra 57p a week for council services, with annual payments going from £998.09 in 2021-22 to £1,027.93 in 2022-23.

Rent for tenants in local authority-owned homes would also rise by 3.1%.

In Lincoln, city councillors will be asked to approve a 1.89% council tax increase during the authority's budget meeting on 1 March.

Overall, residents are expected to see a 4.35% hike in their bills, which includes a 3.75% rise for policing proposed by Lincolnshire's Police and Crime Commissioner.