Council tax payers face an increase of just under 5% in their bills under budget plans set out by Kent County Council (KCC).

The proposed increase will see average annual charges for homes in Band D go up by £73 to £1,534.

The bill includes two elements. There is a separate amount for the adult social care levy, which will increase by just under 2% and will account for £202 of the average charges. There is also a 3% rise for general services.

KCC will not have to hold a referendum on the hike, as the government has lifted the threshold that would trigger a vote from 3% to 5%.

The increase comes against a backdrop of continuing concern about the cost-of-living crisis - and finance chiefs say that could affect the ability of already hard-pressed residents to pay the tax.

That in turn could place a question mark over KCC’s ability to raise enough to meet rising demand for services.

The authority’s leader Cllr Roger Gough said a government bailout for struggling councils had eased some of the pressure, with an estimated £68m more being allocated. However, that will still not be enough to stave off further cuts.

The council had warned minister that, without extra investment, it faced the prospect of declaring it was bankrupt and might only be able to fund core essential services - chiefly, looking after vulnerable adults and children.

Cllr Peter Oakford, the politician in charge of the budget, said that the outlook remained challenging.

“I think we all recognise that the financial settlement that we received was better than expected but that is as far as it goes," the Conservative said.

"It still does not close the gaps or remove some of the unpleasant decisions that we have to take. It still leaves us with challenging decisions.”

Finance chief Dave Shipton told a meeting of the authority's Conservative cabinet that, taken together, extra funds from the government had boosted the budget by £63m.

"That is a significant increase," he said.

The final bill will be more, as the increase in the county council tax is just one element and excludes the amount charged by the district or borough council, the Kent police and crime commissioner and parish and town councils.

How much you pay depends on the value of your home based on bands from A to H.