COUNCIL bosses have admitted the new council tax bills 'could cause confusion' after being criticised for formatting them 'incorrectly'.

This year the authority agreed to increase council tax by 1.98 per cent and to apply the additional three per cent 'social care precept' to take the figure to 4.98 per cent.

On the new bills, band D residents have been informed the 'increase' for the adult social care charge totals £61.71, three per cent.

However, the increase from last year amounts to a staggering 156 per cent.

Penketh resident Chris Haggett, a retired chartered public finance accountant, is among those who have raised concerns.

The 71-year-old, who has featured on Eggheads, Family Fortunes and Fifteen to One, contacted the council over the issue.

He said: "It was incorrect of them, of course, to show the three per cent figure on the council tax bill as being the increase in the adult social care charge between 2016-17 and 2017-18, which it is not.

"A correct presentation on the bill would have been: Warrington Borough Council, including adult social care charge of £61.71, £1,315.90 – a 4.98 per cent increase.

"That ticks all the boxes. The bill now makes arithmetical sense – it is consistent with the overall bill increase of 4.5 per cent, when taking account the other elements with smaller increases, and still meets the requirement to show the amount of the adult social care charge.

"The percentage increase in the charge is not three per cent as stated on the council tax bills – it is 156 per cent.

"The three per cent is the amount the council was allowed to increase the whole of the council tax by, in order to pay for this extra adult social care spending.

"So that's where their three per cent figure comes from."

The authority confirmed 'there is no anomaly or error on the bill'.

A spokesman said: "We understand how the council tax bill could cause confusion.

"All councils have been instructed to format the bill in the same way by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

"We understand that the way the social care precept figures appear may make things unclear for residents in Warrington and other parts of the country.

"We would reassure our own residents that the council tax bills are correct and ask anyone with any uncertainties to contact us."

Former council leader Cllr Ian Marks, who is the party's finance spokesman, said the information on the bills is 'misleading' and 'downright dishonest'.

He added: "Last year an extra two per cent was allowed and this year an extra three per cent.

"This is cumulative so if you look at your tax bill, you will find that you are paying an extra five per cent of your council tax for social care.

"Residents may not like this but most accept that social care is in crisis and the money has to be found from somewhere.

"The problem is that in the 'per cent increase' column it says three per cent.

"The true year-on-year increase is 156 per cent."