Council tax increase - maths boffin needed

[presta]

If the four original component prices are A,B,C,D, then the overall increase is:

(1.03A+1.02B+1.042C+1.03D)/(A+B+C+D)

If each component were equal the overall increase would be 3.05%.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Surely if a constituent element rises by 'n' percent, then n is the maximum amount by which the total increases.

Correct as the percentage increase in that constituent is less than or equal than the percentage increase in the total. It can only be equal if the constituent is 100% of the total or all constituents increase by that same percentage increase.

There is an increase not due to those elements which they are hiding. There is creative accounting (poor maths) going on. My Council Tax bill also has the numbers not adding up.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’ve pulled out my council tax letter for 2023/24 and compared to the recent 2024/25 one.

General Expenditure - claimed 3.0% increase, actual increase 3.4%
Adult Social Care - claimed 2.0% increase, actual increase 15.1%

Thus they’ve incorrectly stated the increase for 2 out of 4 items. The first item being the big one. I feel a submission to the local paper coming on.

 

[oldwheels]

Things are slightly different in Scoland where there is supposed to be a freeze on a council tax rise. Some councils eg Argyll & Bute ignore this and say they are increasing overall by 10%.
I have not tried to do the maths but some who have complain that it is in fact 11.5% so they are clearly on the fiddle.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I’ve pulled out my council tax letter for 2023/24 and compared to the recent 2024/25 one.

Mercifully, recycling was this morning (after cycling last night) and the explanatory leaflet has gone to make more explanatory leaflets. So no comparison is possible: I'm gutted.

 

[presta]

What increase are they referring to? It's not an average for all taxpayers, with variations for individual bands or taxpayers is it?

 

[Ajax Bay]

Surely if a constituent element rises by 'n' percent, then n is the maximum amount by which the total increases.

Not quite. 'n' has to be the highest rise of the various constituent elements for that to hold.
And 'n' is not an "amount" btw.
"Surely if the maximum rise is n%, then 'n' is the maximum % the total can rise."
HTH

 

[Ming the Merciless]

What increase are they referring to? It's not an average for all taxpayers, with variations for individual bands or taxpayers is it?

Mine and my calcs are specific to my band. Can’t believe the council were so far out. Well I can actually.

 

[bonzobanana]

Huge amount of councils are bankrupt and near bankrupt. I think one council has debt levels 22x its income, can you imagine oweing 22x your income. My local council is about 800m in debt so a huge percentage of council tax is debt interest. Most councils are increasing council tax due to huge outstanding debts. They might spin it another way on the council tax bill but that is the reality. We are a bankrupt country with about 40-50 years of financially ridiculous decisions often giving money away and joining a single market we couldn't compete in which caused a huge trade deficit and reduction in assets and increase in debts.

 

[midlife]

Council tax came today as well. Near as dammit £3k total.

Includes Circa £300 for police, £200 for fire service, £250 for adult social care and £100 for parish Council

Total percentage rise 4 point something percent. Like the OP the percent rise for each section is a bit baffling. Can't do much about it so put it all in a cupboard......

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Things are slightly different in Scoland where there is supposed to be a freeze on a council tax rise. Some councils eg Argyll & Bute ignore this and say they are increasing overall by 10%.
I have not tried to do the maths but some who have complain that it is in fact 11.5% so they are clearly on the fiddle.

Mine wen up by about £100 a year.
Just about 10% more from last year.

 

[Windle]

Oddly, ours hasn't arrived yet...... which is worrying, although it's 'only' supposed to be going up by the maximum allowed 4.99%, again, despite services being cut even further.
What's annoying though is when you see something like few weeks ago ~ on a Saturday morning, four council workers, two dropside trannys and a welfare unit, with one bloke pointing some of the stones on the Slack bridge over the Gaunless. Efficient use of resources? Necessary overtime rate work? I don't think so. Boils my p#ss it does .

 

[cyberknight]

£140 a month now for me , one benefit of being a low band house

 

[presta]

I think one council has debt levels 22x its income

4.5% interest would use up all their income.

 

[Fastpedaller]

Huge amount of councils are bankrupt and near bankrupt. I think one council has debt levels 22x its income, can you imagine oweing 22x your income. My local council is about 800m in debt so a huge percentage of council tax is debt interest. Most councils are increasing council tax due to huge outstanding debts. They might spin it another way on the council tax bill but that is the reality. We are a bankrupt country with about 40-50 years of financially ridiculous decisions often giving money away and joining a single market we couldn't compete in which caused a huge trade deficit and reduction in assets and increase in debts.

And I reckon the person (s) at the top are being pain c£200k per year...... yet they suddenly (it would seem) find they are so much in debt! Clearly they haven't the ability to do the job properly, as I'm sure anyone would know their debt/income ratio (certainly if they hold the senior positions in that organisation)