PEOPLE across Dudley borough are being asked to decide whether they would be prepared to pay extra council tax to help fund services for the elderly and vulnerable.

Dudley Council is planning to hike up the basic rate of council tax by 1.99 per cent next year and add a further one per cent precept which will help to support older and vulnerable adults.

Under government rules, the authority can add up to a further two per cent which would allow extra support for elderly and vulnerable people.

But council bosses want to know whether members of the public would be happy to pay a little more to help give a boost to adult social care services.

People can choose between a 2.99, 3.99 or 4.99 per cent increase in council tax for 2018, which includes the 1.99 per cent increase in the basic rate.

Councillor Steve Clark, Dudley's cabinet member for finance, said: “We have already set the basic rate of council tax which will allow us to invest in the services people have told us are important to them. "The consultation is about adding that extra level of investment specifically for older and vulnerable adults.

“This extra funding will help ensure we are able to deliver the high quality services the people of this borough deserve.”

Each extra one per cent would raise around £1million which equates to the cost of over 72,000 hours of care at home for older people or the annual cost of 43 residential placements for people with dementia.

People can have their say on how much council tax they would be prepared to pay as part of the council's Big Question consultation, which will be available online via the authority's website until January 26.

Hard copies of the consultation will also be available in borough libraries and leisure centres throughout the 12 week consultation.

The results will be announced ahead of a meeting of the cabinet on February 8 next year before a final decision is made at a meeting of the full council on February 26.