Families could be facing rising Council Tax bills next year, in a plan laid out in last week's budget.
Last year, councils were able to put up bills by a huge 5% - taking the bill for an average Band D property up to £2,023.54 in Newcastle and a whopping £2,144.63 in Gateshead.
And Chancellor Rishi Sunak said that councils were free to increase by up to 3% next year without having to hold a local referendum, with 1% of this going into social care.
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Residents living in two of our council areas are among the biggest bill payers in the country.
Homeowners in Gateshead and County Durham pay a third more than the lowest rated council, Westminster, where residents pay only £829.27.
The lowest bill in our region went to families in Sunderland, who pay £1773.71 for a Band D property.
A 3% rise would put add average of £57 nationwide to a Band D bill in April - potentially taking the average to £1,955.
This is on top of the 1.25% National Insurance rise to pay for health and social care.
Sunak also warned inflation could reach 4% by Christmas – meaning the cost of essential goods will be that amount higher by December.
Council Tax is classed as a priority bill, which means serious consequences if it is not paid, including imprisonment in serious cases, according to debt charity StepChange.
However, Moneysavingexpert 's Martin Lewis has urged households to check if they are paying the right council tax in the first place.
We have put together this checklist to ensure you're not paying more than you need to.
1. Are you claiming any discount you are entitled to?
Depending on who you live with, if anyone, you could be entitled to anything from 25% to 100% off your Council Tax bill.
The rules are complicated, and help does vary between local authorities, so it's best to get in touch with your council to see what you could claim.
For example, if you are the only adult living at your address, most councils will give you 25% off your bill, know as Single Person Discount.
But did you know that you don't have to live alone to get the discount, if you are living with someone who is "disregarded"?
This could be one student or a live-in carer who looks after someone with a disability.
And if everyone living in the house is disregarded, the discount could rise to 50% or even 100% if, for example, you live in an all-student household.
Are you eligible for Council Tax Reduction scheme help?
You may be eligible for help through a Council Tax Reduction scheme (sometimes called Council Tax Support) if you're on a low income or on certain benefits.
You could see your council tax bills reduced by as much as 100% depending on your circumstances.
Whether you are entitled to help depends on many circumstances, including where you live, who you live with and your household income.
As before, each council has their own scheme so the help isn't guaranteed - but it is still worth checking out.
Is your home in the correct Council Tax band?
If it turns out that you're in the wrong council tax, you could be owed thousands of pounds back - plus you'll pay lower bills going forward.
The first step check is to see what council tax band your neighbours are on. You can do this by either asking them or check the bands online at Gov.uk.
You'll also need to work out how much your property was worth in 1991, as this is when council tax was launched by the government, before going ahead with your challenge.
MoneySavingExpert has a free calculator tool to help you do this, as well as a table on what band you should have been put in.
If you think you’ve got a good case, contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) in England and Wales.
Should you be successful, the valuation office will contact you and the band will be changed - and you’ll be due money back.
However, a word of warning - do your research first, because if it turns out the band you are in is too low, you'll end up paying more - and your neighbours could be bumped up too.
