Council tax is set to rise to pay for adult social care.

Waltham Forest Council is expected to raise the overall council tax rate by 3.99 per cent in a final tax-setting meeting next week.

The raise would mean the average band D household in the borough would go from paying £1,614 per year to £1,694.

One per cent of that overall increase is being ring-fenced to pay for adult social care, including care home for the elderly and vulnerable adults.

Each council tax band (just including contributions to the borough council, not GLA or government contributions) will be increase to the following amounts:

Band 2019/20

A £1,119.61

B £1,306.21

C £1,492.81

D £1,679.41

Overall council tax levels will be slightly higher once GLA contributions and government contributions are added.

A public consultation on the Mayor of London’s website which closed on January 14 2019 has proposed to raise the GLA contribution of council tax by just over £26 per household across all 32 boroughs.

Meaning those living in the average band D property in Waltham Forest, including this raised GLA contribution, will pay a total of £1,694 per year in council tax.

The council’s finance officers announced they had managed to balance the budget, including a one per cent “efficiency” buffer that they believe will stand the authority in good stead for any unexpected “economic shocks”.

The officers cited the Brexit process as causing uncertainty.

As part of the budget proposals, the council has also suggested lowering council rent levels by one per cent.

Cllr Simon Miller, cabinet member for economic growth, said: “Our rise in council tax is by no means the highest in London. A total of 67 per cent of London boroughs have raised their levels by 3.99 per cent or higher. We are very much in the pack with this.”

A final approval of the council’s budget is due next week on Thursday, February 28 from 7.30pm.