Millions of households face a hike of five per cent in council tax as bills are set to surge by more than £100.
Three in four local authorities in England have declared their intentions to bump up rates by five per cent from April.
It means that for average Band D properties, bills will rise by £100 per year.
Bills will spike sharply across the South West with a 4.9 per cent increase, while the East of England will see the lowest rise of four per cent.
Residents in Rutland will face the biggest increase of £115.
The changes mean that families in many rural areas will pay a fifth more for the same services than people in London.
Council leaders say they have 'little choice' but to raise taxes
Joe Giddens
The amount local authorities will be able to spend next year was set to rise by £5.1bn – a rise of nine per cent.
However, council leaders say they have "little choice" but to raise tax to protect services, despite the rising cost of living for residents.
Out of 152 upper tier authorities, 113 have announced tax rises.
A total of 84 will put them up by just under five per cent – the maximum amount being allowed by the Government.
Another 29 are planning rises above the threshold which range from two per cent to 4.98 per cent in North East Lincolnshire.
Central Bedfordshire in the only council so far to declare that it will be freezing rates next year.
Three authorities - Croydon, Thurrock and Slough - have special dispensation to go above 4.99 per cent because their finances are in such bad shape.
The average council tax for a Band D property in England for 2022/23 was £1,966 so a five per cent rise would add £98 a year to bills.
Elliot Keck, from the TaxPayers' Alliance campaign group, said: “Surging council tax bills are the last thing hard-pressed households need.
“With the cap on rate rises lifted, local authorities have been given the green light to charge taxpayers for another year of wasteful spending and princely pay packets.
“Councils must crack down on waste before coming cap-in-hand to residents.”
The County Councils Network, which carried out the analysis of planned rises says local authorities face a funding crisis.
Households could pay more than £100 more per year in council tax
Dominic Lipinski
Sam Corcoran - its vice-chairman and leader of Labour-run Cheshire East said: “With inflation reaching levels not seen for nearly 40 years and with demand-led pressures for care services showing no sign of abating, local authority leaders are setting their budgets in the most difficult circumstances in decades.
“We all recognise the cost of living crisis is impacting on every household in the country and disproportionally on those with low incomes, but we have little choice but to propose council tax rises again next year, with many councils reluctantly opting for maximum rises.”
“With councils facing multi-million funding deficits next year, the alternative to council tax rises would be drastic cuts to front-line services at a time when people at the sharp end of the cost of living crisis need us to be there for them.
“With the financial situation for local authorities looking extremely tough for the next few years, we will be calling on the Chancellor for further help in the March Budget.”
