Adult social care precept information
Since 2016, the Government has allowed the council to charge an additional amount of Council Tax each year to help cover the cost of adult social care.
Adult social care services include helping people to live independently in their own homes or in residential care where necessary. Adults with physical and learning disabilities are also supported and funded by adult social care. Some people have to contribute towards the cost of their care if they meet set criteria (for example their level of savings and income). Other people need financial support from the council. This extra increase in Council Tax is called the adult social care precept and can only be used to fund adult social care.
For 2023-24 there has been an additional Council Tax increase of 2% for residents of Gateshead in respect of the Government's charge for adult social care expenditure.
How the 2% adult social care charge for 2023-24 is calculated
This is the combined total of your 2022-23 'Gateshead Council' charge and the 2022-23 'adult social care' charge, which is then increased by 2%.
| Band | 2022-23 Gateshead Council charge plus the 2022-22 adult social care charge | 2% adult social care charge calculated for 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|
| A | £1,314.79 | £26.29 |
| B | £1,533.91 | £30.67 |
| C | £1,753.04 | £35.05 |
| D | £1,972.17 | £39.44 |
| E | £2,410.44 | £48.20 |
| F | £2,848.70 | £56.97 |
| G | £3,286.96 | £65.74 |
| H | £3,944.34 | £78.88 |
I live in a band A property. Why is the amount for adult social care on my 2023-24 Council Tax bill different from the £26.29 shown in the above table?
The Government has stated that each Council Tax bill must show the total amount that has been raised for adult social care since 2016-17 and not just the amount that has been raised for 2023-24.
The following table shows the amount that has been raised for adult social care each year from 2016-17. It is this amount that must be shown on your 2023-24 Council Tax bill for the property band that you live in.
| Adult Social Care raised by year | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band | 2016-17 (2%) | 2017-18 (3%) | 2018-19 (2%) | 2019-20 (1%) | 2020-21 (2%) | 2021-22 (3%) | 2022-23 (1%) | 2023-24 (2%) | Total adult social care precept raised as shown on your 2023-24 Council Tax bill |
| A | £19.62 | £30.60 | £21.42 | £11.24 | £23.39 | £36.48 | £12.77 | £26.29 | £181.81 |
| B | £22.89 | £35.70 | £24.99 | £13.12 | £27.28 | £42.56 | £14.89 | £30.67 | £212.10 |
| C | £26.16 | £40.80 | £28.56 | £14.99 | £31.18 | £48.64 | £17.02 | £35.05 | £242.40 |
| D | £29.43 | £45.90 | £32.13 | £16.86 | £35.08 | £54.71 | £19.15 | £39.44 | £272.70 |
| E | £35.97 | £56.10 | £39.27 | £20.61 | £42.87 | £66.88 | £23.40 | £48.20 | £333.31 |
| F | £42.51 | £66.30 | £46.41 | £24.36 | £50.67 | £79.03 | £27.66 | £56.97 | £393.91 |
| G | £49.04 | £76.50 | £53.55 | £28.11 | £58.46 | £91.20 | £31.92 | £65.74 | £454.51 |
| H | £58.86 | £91.80 | £64.26 | £33.72 | £70.16 | £109.42 | £38.30 | £78.88 | £545.40 |
Information from the Government
In relation to the year beginning 2020 and any subsequent year, the Secretary of State made an offer to adult social care authorities. ("Adult social care authorities" are local authorities that have functions under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, namely county councils in England, district councils for an area in England for which there is no county council, London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London and the Council of the Isles of Scilly.)
The offer was the option of an adult social care authority being able to charge an additional "precept" on its Council Tax without holding a referendum, to help the authority meet its expenditure on adult social care from the financial year 2016-17. It was originally made in respect of the financial years up to and including 2019-20. If the Secretary of State chooses to renew this offer in respect of a particular financial year, this is subject to the approval of the House of Commons.
The Government has extended this into 2023-24. Your bill therefore also includes an additional 2% adult social care precept.