County council chiefs say more than half of a planned council tax increase will be used to help deal with the rising cost of social care.
A rise of 4.99% is being proposed by Staffordshire County Council for its portion of the bill – equivalent to £1.24 a week for a Band D property.
But it said 3% of that figure would be “ring-fenced” for social care.
The cabinet at the county council is proposing to spend almost £350million on social care in its new budget.
Cllr Alan White, leader of Staffordshire County Council, said that even with the increase, the challenge of paying for the rise in demand was still a huge one for the authority.
“The fact that the provision of social care takes up approximately two-thirds of the proposed budget for next year is a long-running cause for concern.
“The growing demand in this sector is a national challenge rather than a local one and we need central Government to take the lead in finding sustainable long-term solutions.”
Cllr Alan White, Staffordshire County Council
The cabinet has backed the proposed spending on social care, as well as work on adult retraining, the creation of new cycle routes and the development of a new primary school in Fradley.
Cllr White said he hoped the budget would ensure Staffordshire could prosper in the future.
“With the imposition of the latest national lockdown, it’s more important than ever that we carry on doing all we can to help Staffordshire’s businesses and communities get moving again when the opportunity arises.
“We will invest in business sites, superfast broadband, roads and schools to support existing businesses and lay the foundations for new ones, while helping young people get a good education.”
Cllr Alan White, Staffordshire County Council
