Camden Council says it is raising council tax by 4.99% to support vital council services and help residents through cost-of-living crisis

The authority voted on the increase - just below the 5% that would trigger a local referendum - at its full council meeting on Monday (February 27).

The rise is made up of a 2.99% increase to support council services such as children’s services, refuse collection, planning, libraries and community safety, and a 2% earmarked for adult social care.

Cllr Richard Olszewski, cabinet member for finance and cost of living, said: “This is a cost of living budget - those most in need are our highest priority and the budget is designed to give them the maximum help we can, with the limited resources we have.

"We are protecting our residents who cannot afford a rise in their council tax bills while ensuring we put the council and its partners in the best possible financial position to respond to the significant economic, social, and environmental challenges we face.

"We’ve faced huge Government cuts to our budget, which means we’ve had to make around £200m in savings since 2010. We will always stick to our key principles – that no-one in Camden gets left behind. This means a big focus on early intervention – we know that if we continue to invest in our children in the first few years of their lives, they will have far better life outcomes."

The council says it will continue to provide support for families most impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.

This includes:

  • investing £1.3 million in a family support fund focused on school meals and school uniforms for children from low-income families
  • making the Mayor of London’s scheme to provide free school meals for primary school children a permanent offer in Camden
  • extending the borough’s holiday food voucher scheme
  • investing another £2 million in our cost of living crisis fund to help residents who cannot afford essentials like food or energy bills

The rise also includes a £1.9 million resilience fund and £4 million a year in grant funding to support the borough’s voluntary sector.

It also covers continued investment in family support services a programme to tackle the climate crisis.