Image: PA
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has today confirmed a significant increase in council tax share for Londoners already under pressure from the cost-of-living crisis.
The increase will see an average London household now pay almost £400 per year in council tax to City Hall.
The Greater London Authority “precept” will now increase by 8.8% from April, adding £31.93 to Band D bills.
On average a household bill will hit £2,000 per year – of which £395.59 will go to the Mayor. Given the ongoing concerns with the Met Police, questions are being asked as to why the majority of the Mayor’s “precept” will go towards the Met Police. A £20-per-year levy over the next three years to raise funds for cash strapped Transport for London are included in the increase.
Of the £395.59 paid to the mayor, £277 is spent on the Met police, £59 the London fire brigade, and £42 running City Hall and other mayoral departments. The remainder goes to TfL.
However, Band A-D households will qualify for a £150 rebate announced by the Chancellor earlier this month to offset rising energy costs.
The news of an increase is despite a £40 million “windfall” for the Mayor following changes to business rates, an increase in the number of people liable to pay council tax and a surplus from previous bills.
Susan Hall, leader of the GLA Conservatives, said: “As always with Sadiq Khan’s budgets, the devil will be in the detail.
“But what is clear is he isn’t budging on his plan to hit Londoners with the third largest increase in the Mayoral precept in history, at a time when so many are finding it harder to make ends meet.”
