Sunderland council tax rates provisionally confirmed for 2024/25 - here's how much you are set to pay

Council taxpayers in Sunderland are set to see bills rise by 4.99% for 2024/25 after senior councillors approved the rates.

The rise will mean people living in 'Band A' properties, which make up the majority of households in the city, will see a rise of £1.05 a week.

Leaders at Sunderland City Council are working to balance the books as the local authority faces increasing pressures on its budget.

One area creating difficulties is around children's social care.

The Government announced last week that it was providing more funding for councils to help support 'unfunded cost pressures' on such services.

But senior Labour councillors meeting today, January 31, to discuss the council's budget, heard further details on what Sunderland could receive are still awaited.

Members of the council's governing cabinet approved the 4.99% rise, which includes a 2% social care precept to help pay for services to elderly and vulnerable people.

The remaining 2.99% of the proposed council tax increase helps fund around 600 other day to day services such as recycling and waste collection, parks, or enforcement.

The Police and Crime Commission and the Tyne and Wear Fire Rescue Authority also add charges, known as precepts, to council tax bills, and details of these are still to be confirmed.

All councillors will now be asked to vote on the council tax rise at a full council meeting on Wednesday, February 28.

However, with Labour holding the majority of council seats, the council tax rise is unlikely to be blocked.

Speaking at today's cabinet meeting, Cabinet Secretary Councillor Paul Stewart said: "While news of the funding for social care is welcomed, further funding is still required from Government to support councils across the medium term."

The council said, in common with other local authorities, Sunderland's adult and children's social care and homelessness services are experiencing rising demand and major cost pressures. 

In November 2023, the council's three political group leaders wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer outlining their concerns over budgets and spending pressures.

To help balance the budget, the council said it is ready to use £9million of reserves and introduce nearly £7m (£6.673m) of savings and efficiencies.

The council said savings proposals include staffing reviews where vacant posts are not filled, plus reviews of fees and charges, and reductions in some service expenditure.

Cllr Stewart said: "The council continues to do its best to protect residents from the impact of the Government’s austerity measures that have been in place since 2010.

"The compound impact of the Government’s significant and disproportionate funding reductions in previous years, combined with inflationary and social care pressures, means we are once again faced with very difficult decisions.

"Raising council tax remains a difficult decision for all councils.

"If we do not raise council tax, we will need to cut services and reduce our investment into key priority areas. That would mean cuts in services to those most vulnerable in our communities and to the services which residents tell us are a high priority."

The increase is expected to raise £7.5million.

"However, the council tax only helps to finance around £16 (16 per cent) of every £100 in the council's services budget with the majority of funding coming from Government grants that are not keeping up with demand and costs."