Councils are boosting their income through service charge rises and other fee increases as pressure from the 1% rent cut on Housing Revenue Accounts and the £2.56 billion gap in financies over the 4 years of rent reductions bite
There are 21 councils which now plan to increase service charges, with many having kept them frozen for years previously, with many moving to recover full costs whihc had prevuosuly been subsidised (according to Inside Housing).
Government guidance states councils should not increase service charges above Consumer Price Index plus 1%, which is currently approx 2% overall.