RENT for council tenants looks set to rise by 3.91%.

Kirklees Council’s cabinet will decide whether to pass on a yearly rise of around £264 to all council tenants from April.

Proposed garage rents will also face a rise of 2.6% in 2013/14.

Changes to the way it’s calculated means that while tenants will receive a similar weekly bill as in 2012/13, they will face 53 payments in the next 12 months, rather than 49.

The report to cabinet says: “The proposed average weekly Housing Revenue Account (HRA) dwellings rent for 2013/14 is £66.65, based on a 53-week billing period, and incorporates the proposed 3.91% increase.

“The proposed 3.91% rent increase for 2013/14 will directly impact on 30% of council tenants not in receipt of housing benefit.”

A council spokeswoman explained: “The proposed 3.91% increase in rent continues the existing council policy on local rent setting implemented 12 years ago, namely compliance with central government’s national rent restructure guidance for social landlords.

“The guidelines aim to ensure that social rents remain affordable and that by 2015/16 any unjustifiable differences between the rents set by councils and registered providers will be removed.

“The main reason for changing from a 49 to a 53-week billing period is to better assist tenants with budgeting, especially those who will be affected by the phased introduction of Universal Credit which will be paid on a calendar monthly basis.

“So during 2013/14 tenants will find that whilst their overall annual rent bill has increased, the actual amount due each week will appear to reduce as the number of weeks they have to pay goes up from 49 to 53 as the billing free weeks are removed.”

It comes as other major changes come into force. The Examiner reported last week that one in four Kirklees households will be hit by welfare reform changes.

Households in receipt of housing benefit could face cuts of 14% or 25% if they have one or more spare bedrooms. In Kirklees 2,631 households have one extra bedroom and 569 have two or more extra bedrooms. They will have to make up the shortfall themselves or consider moving to a smaller property.

The benefit cap will mean working age households will receive less in benefits than those who work and earn average earnings (£26,000).

The cap will be: £500 a week for couples (with or without children) and single parent families, or £350 a week for single adults who don’t have children or their children live elsewhere.

Also from April the national Council Tax Benefit scheme will be abolished and replaced by the local Council Tax Reduction Scheme, meaning around 19,900 Kirklees working age households in receipt of some Council Tax Benefit will see their bills increase by 29%.

Around 10,000 will have to pay some council tax for the first time.

Pensioners currently receiving the benefit are unaffected.

On top of that, Kirklees is considering a Council Tax of 1.6%, for everyone, with the fire and police precepts set to rise too.

The cabinet will consider the report next Tuesday and it needs the approval of the full council on Wednesday, February 20.