Sunderland City Council have announced a planned council tax rise of 4.99% for the year of 2024 as surging inflation and rising costs hammer its budget.
It has been well known that the budget shortfall of Sunderland City Council is surging, with its deficit growing to £21 million by the end of 2022.
The primary causes of the funding gap include rising costs in health and social care with an aging population (which now amounts to a quarter of their spending), as well as rising energy costs and the lingering problem of general inflation.
The rise is subsequently planned for the 2024/2025 budget, and will be confirmed at the start of that year. The council have subsequently argued that this is in line with government guidelines.