The long-running row between Enfield LBC and Enfield Primary Care Trust over social care costs has escalated.

The council claimed taxpayers were facing a £20 hike in their bills, due to the PCT's ‘financial mismanagement'.

The council's cabinet member for finance and resources, Cllr Michael Lavender, claimed Enfield had hoped to keep council tax rises at or below the rate of inflation. ‘Because of the PCT's decision to dump more than £2m of adult social care costs on to us will mean we have to increase bills by another 2%,' he explained.

Despite informing the Government of the PCT's financial situation, Cllr Lavender is not holding out hope for central government assistance.

‘Although we are under massive pressure, we are working hard to find £25m of savings over the next four years to keep costs down,' he added.

In October, the PCT scored ‘weak' for use of resources by the Healthcare Commission. PCT chair, Carolyn Berkeley, said the score was down to a ‘difficult financial year' in which the PCT declared a deficit for the first time. The PCT scored fair for quality of services.