WREXHAM is one of five authorities in Wales to be selected for extra financial support from the Welsh Assembly.

Local Government Minister Sue Essex has announced that the Assembly has increased its revenue support grant for Wrexham in 2005-6.

The Authority will receive £130.9 million from the Welsh Assembly Government, equivalent to £1,009 for every man, woman and child living in the County Borough.

It is provided to support council spending on local services such as schools, roads and personal social services.

This increased money, 3.5% more than last year, finances rises in pay, prices and pensions in local government.

Taken with the money from council tax, it provides the extra support for schools that allows teachers to spend more time in classrooms and provides for increases in social care for older people in their own homes and communities.

In addition the Assembly has also already awarded Wrexham Council £6.5 million in grants for specified purposes including learning disability strategies, extra support for the care, education and health of young children, sustainable waste management and community regeneration and further specific grants will be announced in the near future.

Finally the council will receive a further £1.2 million as a reward for the performance targets it has agreed with the Assembly Government.

There is also £300,000 to tackle problems of deprivation in the poorer areas.

The Assembly has taken special measures to give the area revenue increases. Wrexham was originally only due the basic grant rise of 2%. The 3.5% gain equates to an extra £1.8 million.

'I have asked all councils to act reasonably in setting their budget with their council tax payers in mind,' said Sue Essex.

'There are efficiency gains that the council can make in order to develop their services and I am taking particular steps to work with them to reduce the administrative requirements placed on them.

'If Wrexham Council works within this reasonable limit it is estimated that there need be little change in council tax for households that stay within the same band and the effect of a band movement in most cases would be moderate.

'I recognise the particular difficulty for those people on low fixed income. I am particularly concerned that two out of every three elderly people who are eligible for council tax benefit are not claiming it.

'I want to work with Wrexham Council and the local media to make it as easy as possible for people to receive this right to have their council tax burden reduced or eliminated.

'In all 53% of Wrexham households have been moved up a band in the council tax restructuring. Recognising the special pressures on these households a series of measures have been taken to moderate the impact of the change in band.

'The Welsh Assembly Government will provide around £818,000 to ensure that no household in Wrexham moves up more than one band.

'I have recognised the particular pressures on those households in Wrexham that have moved up a band and the special steps I have taken will moderate the council tax increases.'