Daily Star: Tax funds pensions

COUNCIL tax bills will rise again with a fifth of the cash fattening up Town Hall pensions.

Average bills will jump by £52 for 2008-09, leaving a typical Band D household having to cough up £1,370. But while the charge goes up, services are being slashed to achieve the 3.9% hike – the lowest in 14 years. It comes as figures reveal £1 in every £5 of council tax goes towards local authority pensions.

Andrew Allum, chairman of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "With pension costs jumping 13% in one year, the problem is clearly getting worse and requires urgent attention."