Four per cent rise in Sheffield Council tax is approved

People in Sheffield will pay almost four per cent more on their tax bills '“ which councillors put down to government funding cuts.

Sheffield councillors voted to increase council tax by 3.99 per cent, made up of a 1.99 per cent increase on the tax rate and a two per cent precept to fund adult social care.

Money raised from the precept can only be spent on adult social care.

The increase, approved at a meeting of Sheffield Council at the Town Hall on Friday, will mean an extra 66p per week for people in the cheapest council tax bracket.

The move comes after the authority was told it would have to find £50million in savings, resulting in up to 400 job losses.

As part of an amendment to the proposals suggested by the Labour group at the meeting, a new Living Wage relief rate to help employers pay their staff more will be introduced.

Also included in the amendment was a plan to bring empty shops back into use.