A plan to increase council tax is “too little, too late” for the social care sector which has reached “crisis levels”, a councillor has warned.

A draft budget was discussed at a Hertfordshire County Council meeting on Monday, where the cabinet suggested a one per cent increase in the social care precept, taking it from two per cent to three per cent.

This is on top of a 1.99 per cent increase to core council tax, meaning residents will be paying an extra 4.99 per cent council tax each year. A further 0.1 per cent increase would trigger a referendum.

But Labour’s Nigel Bell, a Hertfordshire County councillor for West Watford, said the county council should be demanding more from central government.

He said: “Residents in Watford and across the county are likely to think “too little too late” regarding social care when the situation is already at crisis levels.

“If they really wanted to help the elderly and vulnerable the Conservatives in control at County Hall would be banging on the door of Theresa May and demanding a proper settlement from her and her chancellor from central government.”

The extra one per cent to the social care precept will cost a Band D taxpayer 23p a week, which is an extra £11.96 a year.

But in February last year, the council warned that even if it were to increase council tax by 1.99 per cent in 2017/18, and raised a further two per cent from the government’s social care precept, a funding gap of £34m would still remain.

Since then, the gap has increased to just under £48m. Herts Valley Clinical Commissioning Group also plans to withdraw £8.5m of funding from social care services next year.

But Conservative county councillor Chris Hayward has denied that social care is in crisis.

He said: “Whilst I accept that these are very challenging times for adult social care, particularly with the pressure of demographics and an aging population, I do not accept that we are at crisis point.

“However I do understand the need for central government to develop a new approach to social care funding which takes the burden off the hard-pressed council tax payer.

“Recently, there has been much media coverage about the importance of social care services in supporting elderly residents and reducing pressure on the NHS.

“While we would prefer not to place this extra burden on local council taxpayers, we have to do our utmost to ensure the best for Hertfordshire’s elderly residents.

“The extra one per cent will cost a Band D taxpayer 23p a week, around half the cost of a pint of milk.”

The draft budget will be discussed at a cabinet meeting on February 20, for determination by the county council on February 21.