Council tax bills are on the rise and everyone says the system needs reform but do any of our politicians have the courage to tackle it?

IN just a few days, some 24 million households are in for a very nasty surprise.

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On Tuesday April 1, no less council tax hikes will bite hard with most seeing bills rise by 5%.

At a time of unprecedented financial misery for struggling families striving to make ends meet, it is no April Fool's joke.

The average annual charge for a Band D property is now an eye-watering £2,280 an increase of £109 on last year's £2,171. And most will be left wondering what on earth they get for their money.

Cash-strapped councils, many on the brink of going bust, argue the levies represent outstanding value.

But it is an opinion wildly at odds with long-suffering rate payers who for years have bemoaned the parlous state of services town halls have a legal duty to provide.

Many say the only bang for their buck is the bins being emptied once a fortnight.

Council tax is a charge on domestic property introduced in 1993 to replace the short-lived Community Charge (also known as poll tax).

How much you pay depends on the band in which your home falls. The more expensive your castle, the greater the hit.

In England and Scotland, bands are based on the price the property

'Nearly one quarter of all council tax raised is used to fund staff pensions'

would have sold for in 1991. Wales uses 2003 as its base year, while in Northern Ireland it is 2005.

Broadly speaking, the taxes fund local services, including rubbish collections, road repairs, street lighting, libraries, youth clubs, parks and recreation facilities.

But the picture is vastly more complicated than that.