The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has suggested council tax would be more likely to go up under a Conservative government than under Labour or the Liberal Democrats. It said: "The money allocated by the Conservatives would not be sufficient to meet rising cost and demands over the next parliament even if council tax were increased by 4% a year."

Simon Fell, Conservative candidate for Barrow, responded: "The IFS' comment is with regards to social care funding. We have committed £1 billion in extra funding every year for the social care system."