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Figures show more than 250 authorities will accept a central grant for a freeze or reduction in council tax for 2013-14
At least 230 councils in England are freezing or reducing their council tax for 2013-14, including 28 of the 33 London local authorities, according to latest government figures. Those not raising their bills range from the council of the Isles of Scilly in the south to Northumberland county council in the north. The communities and local government department (DCLG) said its latest data showed that at least 257 out of 421 authorities intended to accept the government's grant offer and freeze or reduce their council tax for 2013-14, though the final numbers would not be known until later this month. This number includes 12 police authorities and 15 fire authorities. According to the list, those intending to cut their council tax include Hounslow and Hammersmith & Fulham councils in London, Braintree in Essex, Cotswold in Gloucestershire, and Lancashire county council. The local government minister, Brandon Lewis, recently praised Cotswold district council following its decision in February to reduce council tax by 5% for 2013-14, which has been described as the biggest cut in the country...........Read more here
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The average UK council tax bill will rise below the rate of inflation in April but, as two thirds of councils are freezing bills, the rise will by far higher in some areas. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) today confirmed that the average Band D council tax bill would rise by £12 - or 0.8 per cent - to £1,456 from April. It means the average bill will fall in real terms as inflation is running at 2.8 per cent.
However, the rise in the average is driven by just a third of councils. The rest have granted ministers' wish for local authorities to freeze bills in exchange for a central government grant to help meet higher costs. In all, 257 of the 421 eligible English authorities (61 per cent) qualified for a DCLG grant worth 1 per cent of their council tax bills by imposing a freeze or reduction in the charge - down from 90 per cent in 2012/13. It means a third of councils rejected the offer of central Government help.....Read more here