The government has allowed councils which provide social care to adults to increase their share of council tax by up to an extra 2% in comparison to last year’s council tax. This additional council tax charge is called the adult social care precept.
This precept is shown as a separate charge on your council tax bill and is included in your monthly council tax payments.
The income generated from this charge is ring-fenced, meaning it can only be used for adult social care services.
Gloucestershire County Council is the authority which provides adult social care, and we collect this charge on their behalf.
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has made an offer to adult social care authorities. (“Adult social care authorities” are local authorities which 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 is the option of an adult social care authority being able to charge a “precept” of up to 2% on its council tax for the financial year beginning in 2016 without holding a referendum, to assist the authority in meeting expenditure on adult social care. Subject to the annual approval of the House of Commons, the Secretary of State intends to offer the option of charging the “precept” in relation to each financial year up to and including the financial year 2019-20.
In relation to the financial year beginning in 2016 the Secretary of State has determined (and the House of Commons has approved) a referendum principle of 4% (comprising 2% for expenditure on adult social care and 2% for other expenditure), for adult social care authorities. These authorities may therefore set council tax up to this percentage in 2016 without holding a referendum.