LEADING Conservatives have slammed Labour rivals who they accuse of 'doing everything in their power to stop additional funding for vulnerable people'.

The criticism was delivered after Conservative-run Thurrock council passed the budget for the new financial year, which includes a total local council tax rise of 2.99 per cent which the Conservatives pledge is ring-fenced for children's and adult social care.

Together with the increased precept levied by the Essex Police and Crime Commissioner, that means an average band D property in Thurrock will be paying a total of £1,735.11 – a year-on-year increase of £53.37.

Delivering the budget proposal finance portfolio holder Cllr Shane Hebb said: "For the second year in a row we are able to deliver a balanced budget despite the extra pressures social care has faced as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic.

"This budget will allow us to provide for the care and well-being of the most vulnerable children and adults in the borough with the entire increase ring-fenced for social care.

"Thurrock Council has the lowest council tax bill in Essex and is among the lowest of all unitary authorities nationwide.

"However, for those who need help, there is help available for those who want to pay but find they are struggling to do so through the Local Council Tax Support scheme, which we increased by £0.7m last year and are maintaining the scheme fund this year at £8.5m to support those who need financial help with their council tax."

Cllr Hebb said the local increase was aimed at delivering help where it was needed. It is made up of a 1.99 per cent increase in council tax which will be ringfenced on children's social care, and a one per cent increase in the adult social care precept, which will be spent on looking after vulnerable adults.

Unlike last year, when there was an additional three per cent levy, there is no government-ordered increase for social care. It is up to local authorities what they do.

The whole council tax package proposed was opposed by the Labour group, whose leader recognised the need for social care funding but said it was not the right way to go about creating change.

Cllr John Kent said: "We have to consider the impact our decisions have on our residents – after all, it is them who will pay any council tax increase and who rely on the services we provide.

"I really don't think we can keep increasing council tax year on year at a time that our residents are facing a cost of living crisis.

"So Thurrock Labour opposes a rise in council tax. An increase of 2.99 per cent doesn't sound like much but, added to gas and electricity prices rising by 54 per cent, the 10 per cent National Insurance tax hike, petrol prices at record levels, inflation at a 30 year high and stagnating wages then it's clear that this increase may be too much for some of our residents to bear.

"I am disappointed that cabinet didn't look to use the unexpected two and a half million pound funding the council received via the local government settlement in December last year. We would have used that windfall to deliver a one year Council Tax freeze.

"As it is, this latest increase comes on top of years of hikes by this Conservative council. If this new rise goes through, the increase in Council tax since the Tories came to power will be 25 per cent. By contrast, the last Labour council froze bills nearly every year.

"We are told that the whole increase will be ring fenced for social care – and we all know that we have to fix the social care crisis and that we need to pay for that, but we were told that last year's three per cent increase in the social care precept would solve the problem. Then we were told the 10 per cent Tory National Insurance tax increase would solve it and now we are told that tonight's further tax hike will solve the problem.

"We all know that, in reality, while this extra funding will help the only sustainable solution is radical reform to the way social care is delivered as well as funded."

However, that opposition and Cllr Kent's further comments which also questioned if the council could actually deliver the 'balanced budget' it has set out on paper, prompted volleys of criticism after the meeting from Tories keen to highlight their social care credentials.

Council leader, Cllr Rob Gledhill said: "Still the other parties in Thurrock haven't learned that the politics of just saying "no" isn't good enough. That is why ten have come across to the only party in Thurrock with plans. Leaving aside the fact that 80 per cent of the borough will see their council tax decrease with the £150 reduction from HM government, for all those parties to put votes before the vulnerable just shows them for what they are."

Children's services portfolio holder Cllr Barry Johnson said: "These services are services that are provided to either ourselves, or our families, or people we care deeply about.

"They are for the most vulnerable in Thurrock. The extra funding means the children's social care budget will increase by three per cent, so we can ensure the best care is available to prevent some of the very tragic headlines about when social care goes wrong in other councils, happening here."

And Cllr Hebb weighed in to say: "The covid pandemic had led to extraordinary pressure in the social care sector. The tax increase is two per cent under inflation, but for those who are struggling; last month Thurrock Conservatives passed another 8.5m worth of Local Council Tax Support to support those very households. Please visit the website to see if you qualify for help."