Local authorities in Essex should consider council tax breaks to ease pressures on the most vulnerable and those living in areas of high deprivation during the coronavirus epidemic.

Areas of high levels of deprivation such as Tendring, that is home to two of the country’s most deprived placed in Clacton and Jaywick, are expected to take a disproportionality bigger hit from the effects of coronavirus.

Cllr Ivan Henderson, who represents Harwich, said: “Council tax is one area that councils are going to have to look at. The government will have to step up and support those councils because the councils at the moment are going to be on the front line in all of this.

“One of the areas that is going to have to be looked at very seriously is people being able to afford carrying on paying council tax.”

As the elderly and people with underlying health conditions are at particular risk from the virus, Tendring, where the over 70s make up 22.6 per cent of the population – the highest proportion in all Essex – could be particularly impacted.

Cllr Henderson added: “There is no doubt that the poorer communities are going to get hit the hardest.

“I dread to think what we are going to be looking at for these communities when we come out the other side of this.

“The scale of support these communities are going to need, not just the way through but at the end of it, is going to be huge.”

Essex County Council (ECC) has announced that following on from Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement it will particularly focus on those people who receive its care and support and the most vulnerable.

But Cllr Henderson added that poorer areas may need extra help.

“The next months ahead are going to be absolutely critical because we are already dealing with those areas of deprivation and the problems they bring to those areas,” he added.

“But we are going to have more deprivation and poverty created because of all the closures with all the lower paid services jobs.

“And a lot of these people pay private rent and if private landlords make decisions we could end up with more people homeless and end up having to deal with higher levels of poverty and deprivation.”

In a statement to cabinet on behalf of ECC leader David Finch, the council announced it is planning to help those who need to self-isolate for three months during the crisis.

“This is the biggest challenge facing our nation since the Second World War and the county council has a crucial role to play in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Essex residents. I have every confidence in our ability to rise to the challenge,” a statement made at cabinet said.

“Social distances for people for a period of at least 12 weeks will be hard for people but we are planning to ensure that anyone who needs to socially distance themselves – particularly the elderly – do not find themselves isolated.

“Communities across Essex are already responding to this and the county council will support this work and we will take action to help support residents in this position.”