Residents are being asked to pay an extra ￡60 in council tax despite being hit with bin collection strikes that mean they have to drive to rubbish tips themselves.

       Bin collection strikes are at their highest level in nearly 40 years but households in the areas affected will see their bills increase from April by an average ￡48 to ￡69.

       In Wiltshire, where households have started paying privately for tip runs, bills will rise by ￡69 for an average Band D property. This will take the annual bill to ￡2,100.08. The county's recycling collections are suspended until March 21.

       In West Sussex, workers at Adur and Worthing Councils began a two-week strike on Monday morning over a pay dispute. Local people were told to double-bag their rubbish and keep it in sheds or garages if possible to shield it from wildlife. Council tax bills will rise by ￡69 and ￡60 to ￡2126.7 and ￡2033, respectively.

       Coventry council has asked residents to start booking slots before driving to tips. Council tax bills will rise by ￡66 to ￡2075.46 next year. Households in Barrow-in-Furness and Sollihul will be asked to pay an extra ￡48 and ￡52 respectively. In North Somerset, bills will go up by ￡59 to ￡1,959.

       Council tax increases will eat into the ￡150 rebate that Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, has promised to households to help ease the cost of living crisis. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said that 20 million households in council tax bands A to D, including 95 per cent of rented properties, would qualify.

       With inflation expected to hit eight per cent this year, households are already battling higher energy and grocery bills.

       The GMB union said that lorry drivers were taking industrial action to secure larger pay rises that keep pace with inflation. It noted that drivers could be paid more in other jobs because of the high demand for qualified HGV drivers.

       The dispute involving refuse collection workers in Coventry involves the trade union Unite.