WEST Yorkshire fire chiefs who appealed for extra funds have been awarded a surprise £530,000.
It means that council tax bills will not rise as high as expected in April.
Government ministers have awarded the new cash after Dewsbury MP Ann Taylor led a lobby.
Fire chiefs revealed that fire precepts on council tax bills will now rise by 9.4%, less than 5p a week.
A jump of between 13% and 14% had been planned before the windfall.
Fire authority leaders argued that the national formula for grants was faulty because it penalised those with the best community safety records.
West Yorkshire chief fire officer Phil Toase said: "It is essential that those responsible for drawing up the new formula try to be more realistic about the costs of running a vital emergency service."
