Charities have urged councils to be sympathetic to residents struggling with their council tax amid concerns that many more households could default on payments.

Average bills are set to break the £2,000 mark as local authorities across Kent send out bills to households.

Debt charity StepChange said councils needed to refrain from using bailiffs to recover unpaid council tax.

Richard Lane, director of external affairs, said: “Council tax has always been one of the most common household bills that StepChange clients struggle with.

"Around a third of all new clients are behind on their council tax, so the rise in April is especially concerning.

"Councils are often quick to escalate council tax debt to enforcement agents, commonly known as bailiffs, without considering whether this is appropriate.

"We’ve long called for a more supportive approach to council tax debt recovery, which reduces the need for this kind of approach and takes the client’s welfare into consideration, in turn improving council tax collection rates."

Analysis by KentOnline shows cash-strapped councils in Kent are taking millions of pounds from ‘rainy day’ funds and increasing the costs of multiple services in a struggle to balance their books, despite the rise in taxes.

It shows that in addition to using reserves, most also plan to get more cash from increasing the fees and charges for a range of services to boost their income - leading to claims that hard-pressed households are being hit by ‘stealth’ taxes.

Our analysis reveals:

• Councils are taking £25m out of emergency funds with Kent County Council using £12.1m to prop up its budget;
• Councils are increasing the costs of certain services by as much as 10% in line with inflation;
• All but one district authority - Dartford - is increasing the council tax close to or at the maximum 3% permitted by the government.
• Folkestone council has the highest average council tax bill among Kent’s 12 district and boroughs, with an average bill just for its services at £287.30, ahead of Maidstone council at £284.49

The figures underline the serious challenges facing councils struggling to meet demand for services at a time when they have had to absorb government cuts.

Authorities are having to respond to an unprecedented convergence of pressures.

The crisis has seen leaders of councils from different parties unite in appeals to the government for help, warning that there is a risk of some being unable to remain solvent.

Councils are not permitted to carry forward a deficit.

The largest part of bills is accounted for by Kent County Council. It has increased the tax by 4.99% - equivalent to an extra £73 - taking the charge to £1,534.23.

Despite the government allowing councils to increase the council tax cap, most say that is still not enough to bridge a shortfall caused by years of under-funding.

Kent County Council says it has few options to bridge that gap other than fees and charges, which it estimates will bring in an extra £13m.

It is not alone with most district and borough councils looking to generate income to ease some of the pain. Maidstone council leads the way on this measure, with £10.7m expected to be raised this year - although it is not using any money from its reserves.

When it comes to the lowest council tax, Dartford council takes the honours, with an average bill of £181 for its services - the same as last year.

Analysis by Paul Francis

This year has been an annus horribilis for councils, leaving them with few opportunities to square the circle of diminishing budgets.

In some ways it has been inevitable that councils would turn to to their reserves to keep the wolves from the door. But it is not a long-term sustainable way of managing finances.

Increases in the price of of energy and the rise in the National Living Wage have added yet more pressure on already stretched budgets.

Using reserves may paper over the cracks but it is a sticking plaster solution.

As to charges for council services it is one of the few ways council chiefs can generate income.

Kent County Council is introducing fees for some waste at its recycling centres while yet another increase in the cost of the Kent Travel Savers bus pass, rumoured to be in the region of £600, is likely.

What sometimes gets unnoticed are the smaller fees: the cost of a memorial bench at a loved-ones’ favourite spot; having a boot fair - that will cost you £280 in some areas. Having a face-to-face meeting with a planning officer over a ‘minor development’ will set you back more than £350 in some councils; dealing with Freedom of Information requests that go over a notional time limit - cost £450.

Kent councils have at least evaded being declared bankrupt but if nothing changes, they may not be so fortunate next year.