Ealing Council Tax goes up 5%

Image above: Ealing Council, Leader of Ealing Council Cllr Peter Mason

‘Social care demand and inflation’ reasons for increase

Ealing Council has announced an increase of 4.99% to this year’s Council Tax, the maximum raise the Council can make.

The Council said that while they have delivered low Council Tax levels and high-quality services since 2018/2019, significantly below the national and outer London average, for 2023/24 they would need to increase Council Tax by the maximum.

This increase, the Council said, is necessary to ‘mitigate the impacts of ongoing social care demand pressures and inflationary increases’. The Council Tax income that will be generated is estimated to be around £8m.

Final decisions on the budget and council tax will be taken on 8 March 2023 by the full Council.

The Labour Party has a majority on Ealing Council, with 59 out of the 70 seats. The Liberal Democrats are in opposition with six, and the Conservative Party hold five seats.

An increase to the Council Tax reduction scheme will accompany the rise. On 7 December 2022, Cabinet approved a decision to increase the maximum Council Tax reduction for the non-protected category from 75% to 80% for those who fall in the lowest income band – those who’s weekly income is below £136.89. Full Council will be asked to ratify the scheme on 8 March 2023.

Image above: Ealing Liberal Democrats

Opposition condemn hike 

The Liberal Democrat Opposition on Ealing Council say Ealing’s Council Tax rise is ‘unreasonable’ and have called on Labour to freeze council tax while better managing the borough’s finances.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Busuttil, Opposition Spokesperson for Finance said:

“Liberal Democrats think that as households are facing a significant pressures on their income and an erosion of their spending power that it is unreasonable for the Labour led Ealing council to implement a significant increase in their Council Tax bill this year. We call on them to freeze Council Tax and manage the finances better for the benefit of hard working people of the borough.

“Labour claim to be on the side of working people and yet they are adding to their burden. In the last four years adult social care overspend has increased 87% and for children’s social care it has increased 76% since 2018/2019. This shows that the Labour administration do not have control of the social care budget,  as they are unable to forecast or remain in a reasonable margin year on year, which leads to spiralling costs driving up council tax payments.”

All parties will discuss the council tax rise at a Council meeting on Wednesday 22 February.

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See also: Hounslow Council Tax goes up 5%

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