Oxfordshire charity worries more families will be forced into poverty
Council Tax, energy and water bills are all increasing from tomorrow
A charity in Oxfordshire believes more families will be forced into poverty and will need to use foodbanks over the next year, due to a number of bills rising from tomorrow.
Council tax will increase by nearly five per cent. While bills for essentials like energy, water and broadband will also go up - in what's being dubbed 'Awful April'.
"drive more families and more working families to food banks"
Teresa Archer works at Citizens Advice in West Oxfordshire, she says many people are already struggling, “we've dealt with over 2,000 households this year alone that are struggling to make ends meet.
“That's a small proportion of all of the people that are that are likely to be struggling because many people self-help through the Internet or use other organisations for their advice.”
Ms Archer also said: “We hear some really upsetting stories about people who are not putting their heating on, or parents who are not eating meals so that their children can have a full meal. People are making life choices on a daily basis depending on the income that's available to them.”
She added: “We work closely with the food banks across Oxfordshire and the demand for those has been extraordinary. We believe that the lack of increases in income is going to drive more families and more working families to food banks over the next year.”
What taxes and bills are going up from April 1st 2025?
1) Council Tax
In February- Norfolk Council County announced that they'd be increasing Council Tax by 4.99% for 2025-26.
This means that an average property in the County, (Band D), will now pay £1,755.63 annually.
2) Energy
The industry regulator, Ofgem, have confirmed that the energy price cap will rise by 6.4%, from tomorrow.
This means the typical annual household bill will rise to £1,849. (That's an rise of £111 compared to the previous cap).
3) Water
Customers of Anglian Water will see their bills increase by 19%, on average.
In real terms- this translates to an increase of around £1.72 per day.
4) Car Tax
The flat rate cost of car tax from April 2025 is £195. That's an increase of £5 on the current rate.
5) Stamp Duty
Home buyers will now star paying this tax on properties worth over £125,000, as opposed to those valued at £250,000.
First-time buyers will not pay stamp duty on houses valued up to £300,000, from tomorrow.
At the moment, the threshold for this stands at £425,000.
6) Others to be aware of:
The following bills and charges could rise with inflation
-Broadband
-TV License
-Mobile Phone
-Childcare