Pembrokeshire: Council's 12.5% tax rate rise UK's highest

Pembrokeshire council has increased council tax by 12.5%, believed to be the highest percentage rise in the UK.

It comes after councillors recommended increasing council tax by 16.3%, deciding against calling for a 21% rise which would have been the highest ever percentage increase in Wales.

People in the area say that funding is desperately needed as services are negatively impacted.

The Welsh government said the UK government was to blame.

A last minute amendment was tabled by Deputy Leader Paul Miller to avoid the projected 16.3% rise in council tax.

The 12.5% rise will add £3.22 to Band D property bills every week - an annual increase of £167.44.

Next year's bills are also expected to increase by a projected 11.6%.

Pembrokeshire council is facing an "unprecedented" funding gap of £31.9 million due to the costs of funding child and adult social care, a spokesperson said.

Mr Miller told BBC Wales that the council was an "organisation that listens to colleagues from across the chamber and our communities" but "financial pressures hadn't gone away."

He said the decision today will "store up a challenge for next year."

Care assistant Sam Pardoe expects to visit more than 20 homes in a typical 12 hour shift.

Without her visits, Sam, a 43-year-old married mother of three, believes that most of the elderly and vulnerable people she cares for would need to be placed in either a care home or hospital. 

"Our job is really essential," she said.

"People couldn't really be at home without all of these services."

With a growing demand for care provision in Pembrokeshire, the care sector in the county has seen a 48% reduction in care staff since 2020, with the vast majority of the lost care workers now working in other industries.

Ms Pardoe says that staff shortages is a huge issue for her and her fellow carers.  

Pembrokeshire council said that for the first time ever this year, it is spending more on social care than education.

The two budgets combined now make up 78% of the overall council spend.Neil Roberts is an area manager in the care sector in Pembrokeshire and admits that the demand is sometimes too great. "Everything is fund based," he said.

"And some individuals do go without the care they need because there's simply not enough funding to pay for staff."

The Welsh government said the UK government has not provided an adequate funding settlement for Wales.

The UK government said the Welsh government will receive around £170 million following decision from the Spring Budget.