TOWN hall pensions are costing every household in England and Wales £281 a year – the equivalent of a quarter of their council tax bill – Conservatives have claimed.
Shadow communities secretary Caroline Spelman highlighted official figures showing the Local Government Pension Scheme – which excludes teachers, firefighters and police – cost councils £5.4bn in 2008/09.
The figure was almost £400m up on the previous year’s £5.009bn – an increase of 8% – and was more than four times the £1.52bn cost when Labour came to power in 1997/98.
Analysis by the Conservatives found the yearly cost is now equivalent to £281 for each council tax-paying household in England and Wales, compared to an average council tax bill of £1,175.
Ms Spelman said: “Local taxpayers simply cannot afford to foot an ever-growing bill. Under Labour, people are paying more and getting less.”
