Kent County Council is to use new powers to increase council tax to help meet the spiralling costs of caring for vulnerable adults - meaning household bills will rise by 4% this year.

The authority is one of the first to confirm that it intends to use a new right to hike up bills by an extra 2% to raise more money specifically for adult care.

That is on top of the proposed 2% general increase in bills the county council has already confirmed residents are likely to face.

It means average bills for homes in Band D are set go up from £1,089.99 to £1,133.55 rather than the lower figure of £1,111.77.

Chancellor George Osborne announced in his Autumn Statement that councils would be able to set above-inflation care budgets to deal with rising demand.

However, social services directors have warned that it was unlikely to meet a growing shortfall caused by rising numbers of vulnerable adults needing help.

“Councils are facing unprecedented pressures on two major fronts - rapidly rising demand for adult social care and continuing reduction in government funding" - KCC leader Paul Carter

In KCC’s case, the extra 2% on the council tax - if approved - will raise an extra £11m.

But finance chiefs say that the government is cutting millions of pounds in other grants meaning KCC will still need to find substantial savings to cover any shortfall.

The Conservative-led council said last year it was facing unprecedented pressure on its care budget.

The introduction of the living wage was cited as a key issue, with care companies expected to pass on the additional costs - estimated at between £12m and £14m - to the council.

Leader Cllr Paul Carter said: “Councils are facing unprecedented pressures on two major fronts - rapidly rising demand for adult social care and continuing reduction in government funding.”

Opposition parties were broadly sympathetic to the proposed tax hike but warned that it would be a sticking plaster solution.

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Trudy Dean said: “I think it is unavoidable. It will raise about £12m out of the £42m which is needed to keep social care at its current levels, so we cannot afford not to.”

Care for adults was becoming increasingly complex due to many experiencing a range of conditions, she added.

Labour group leader Cllr George Cowan said: “I am concerned about how accountable KCC will be about this extra expenditure. It has to be used to help the right people and we need to know about how it can be traced back but this is not a long term solution.”

KCC spent £348.2m on adult social care in 2015-15 with the bulk going on nursing and residential care.

The budget proposals and council tax levels will be set at a meeting in February.