The next Hampshire Council cabinet will consider a 4.99 per cent increase in council tax for 2023/24, of which two per cent would be designated specifically for adults’ social care.

However, according to council papers ‘the funding remains insufficient to meet the growing pressures in social care over the next year’.

The increase is in line with the council’s medium term financial strategy which was approved in November. The strategy set a maximum council tax increase allowed assumed without a referendum following the government policy.

The total income from council tax in 2023/24 is expected to be around £840m and represents 89.4 per cent of the total funding of the county council’s net budget.

An increase of 4.99 per cent on band D for the year beginning April 1 would be £1,460.25 a year for the county council’s share of council tax. It’s an annual increase of £69.45, approximately £1.34 per week.

The county council’s council tax for the year beginning April 1 for properties in each tax band be:

Band A – £973.50

Band B – £1,135.75

Band C – £1,298.00

Band D – £1,460.25

Band E – £1,784.75

Band F – £2,109.25

Band G –  £2,433.75

Band H – £2,920.50

Liberal Democrat councillor Adrian Collet said that the budget ‘is desperately depressing for Hampshire’.

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He said: "The Conservative-run county council, along with Kent, has already flagged up the even more dire financial situation looming over the next couple of years.

"In the meantime, those services which still survive today are getting worse each year while people are facing crippling council tax increases.

"This has been caused by severe cuts in the Conservative government’s share of funding at the same time as adult and children’s care needs and costs are increasing rapidly.

"Either way, the Conservatives have treated Hampshire very badly indeed!"

The county council imposes the lion’s share of council tax. Borough and district councils, parish councils, the police and the fire service also levy charges through the council tax system.

The county council’s budget for 2023/24 will be decided on February 23.