FAMILIES in Oxfordshire could face a council tax hike of up to £100 next year to help fund extra demand for services.

The average household might have to pay as much as £76 more just to help cover care services put under strain by the pandemic – and they will have to pay more on top of that.

Oxfordshire County Council revealed the plan in its draft budget for the financial year starting in April.

ALSO READ: Sentences NOT changed for PC Harper killers

As part of this budget, the authority is planning cuts totalling £19.6m, but is also planning to invest £25m in its core services, including more support for social care.

Council leader Ian Hudspeth said the council’s priority was ‘protecting those in need’ and insisted frontline services would not be changed.

He said: “This is an investment budget and, despite everything that has gone on this year, we are still investing in our frontline services and delivering for the residents of Oxfordshire.”

To pay for its plans, the council is proposing to hike its portion of the council tax in Oxfordshire not once – but twice.

Firstly, it plans to raise its portion by the legal maximum of 1.99 per cent.

On top of that, it is also considering asking for a special extra three per cent rise exclusively to pay for adult social care.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer gave the green light for councils to do this in November in a bid to help them pay for the added strain on social care from the pandemic.

That could mean that a Band D household – the average Oxfordshire home – would see its yearly council tax to the county council alone rise from £1,527.44 in 2020-21, to £1,603.65 in 2021-22.

On top of that, households also have to pay hundreds of pounds in council tax to the city council (or their district council) and Thames Valley Police – and both of those could be hiked as well.

For example, the average household in Oxford currently pays £2,063.56 a year overall, which includes the bill from the county, plus £319.84 to Oxford City Council, and £216.28 to Thames Valley Police.

If all rises go ahead, some households could have to shell out an extra £100 next year.

However, the three per cent rise in tax for social care might not go ahead in full, depending on the results of a survey on the budget proposals which Oxfordshire residents are now being asked to take part in.

ALSO READ: Tesco fined £300,000 after worker crushed by cage of juice cartons

The consultation was opened yesterday and will stay open until January 13.

Residents can take part online at oxfordshire.gov.uk/budgetconsultation

With all planned cuts and new spending, the county council is now predicting that its total budget for 2021/22 will be £485 million.

The current year’s budget is £475 million, and was subject to £15m cuts within the year due to the extra costs of the coronavirus to the council, even after it had received grants from the Government.

Next year, some of the cuts which are planned include £14m from the ongoing ‘transformation’ agenda at the council, which is a long-term plan to work more closely with Cherwell District Council.

There are also likely to be savings because staff are not working from the office as much: the council estimates it will be able to save £750,000 on staff travel costs and £100,000 on printing.

More savings are also likely to be made because a smaller-than-expected number of homes have been built in the county, meaning less pressure on local services.

This includes £430,000 which was set aside for extra waste management and £700,000 set aside for extra school transport funding which no longer need to be spent.

The county council has also stressed its investment programme for the year, which includes £1m set side for ‘expanding the youth offer in Oxfordshire’.

ALSO READ: The village pub offering a takeaway Christmas dinner

What this means is not clear yet, but a report paid for in last year’s budget is due to be published in the spring detailing gaps in youth provision not currently provided by volunteers or charities.

It is also spending an extra £4m on adult social care this year, and is continuing to set aside savings to prepare for the growth in the ageing population who may need care one day, a step it has taken each year over the last decade.

The council also plans to continue funding for a project which co-ordinates health and social care: this means people coming out of hospital are give support to live independently.

Another £750,000 is also being spent on support for adults of a working age who are living with physical disabilities, as there is a growing number of them in the county.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.