Kirklees Council look for a 2% council tax rise

Feb 9 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

“I know – and independent observers agree – that our safeguarding service is strong, but this new investment will ensure that it continues to improve, allow us to recruit more social workers, and put the strongest possible safeguarding systems in place.

“As with any household budget, there is of course much more to do, and we are now making more savings than previous years to pay for additional costs such as the recent bad winter weather and potholes in the roads.”

If Cabinet members agree the outline budget proposal in the meeting on Tuesday, the plan will be put to the full council on February 25.

All figures include police and fire service charges. Households in the Holme Valley, Kirkburton, Meltham, Denby Dale and Mirfield pay slightly more than the amounts shown here to fund their parish councils.

Pensioners look set to get a council tax rebate next year.

The Cabinet will decide today whether to continue the Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) which has benefited 21,453 households in the last three years. People aged 65 or older can apply to be part of the scheme, which allows them to pay 3% less than the normal rate for council tax.

The CTRS is open to pensioners who do not receive council tax benefit. The Cabinet will decide whether to provide £740,000 to keep the scheme going in 2010/11.

Kirklees expects there to be 500 new applicants in the next financial year, with each saving an average of £33 a year in council tax. Anyone wishing to apply for the rebate must be aged 65 or over on April 1.

The CTRS was introduced in 2007 to protect pensioners on fixed incomes from rises in council tax.

Elsewhere in West Yorkshire, Calderdale plans to reduce council tax by 1% while Wakefield is set for a 2.4% rise and Leeds 2.5%.