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Adult Social Care Precept

What is the Adult Social Care precept?

In response to funding pressures on adult social care services, in 2016/17 the government introduced the Adults Social Care Precept, which allowed Councils that provide social care to adults to increase their share of Council Tax by up to an extra 2% (above the referendum threshold) for each year between 2016/17 and 2019/20.  Between 2017/18 and 2019/20 this could be up to 3%, but the total increase over the 3 years could not exceed 6%.  This was subsequently extended to include 2020/21 and in November 2020 the Government announced that local authorities would also be able to levy a precept of up to 3% for 2021/22; in December 2021 a precept of up to 1% for 2022/23 was announced; and in December 2022 a precept of up to 2% for 2023/24 was announced.

The precept is shown as a separate charge on your Council Tax bill.

We (Telford & Wrekin Council) took the decision to increase the Adults Social Care Precept each year by 2% between 2016/17 and 2020/21, by 3% in 2021/22, by 1% in 2022/23 and by 2% in 2023/24.

How do we ensure this precept is spent on Adult Social Care?

The income that is generated from the Adult Social Care precept is ring-fenced for Adult Social Care services and cannot be spent on anything else.   The budget for Adult Social Care must increase from what it would otherwise have been by at least the amount raised by this precept. 

In 2023/24 the Adult Social Care precept will raise the council a total of £11.385m which will be fully invested in Adult Social Care services.  View more information on the Adult Social Care services that we provide.

View more information on the Adult Social Care services that we provide.

Further information about how the Adult Social Care Precept is calculated

The maximum Adult Social Care (ASC) precept permitted without holding a referendum is set by the Government each year; it is then up to each Council to approve their own ASC precept as part of their annual budget and council tax setting process. The ASC Precepts levied by Telford & Wrekin Council each year since the precept was introduced are shown in the table below:

This table shows the ASC Precepts levied by Telford & Wrekin Council each year since the precept was introduced.
Year % ASC Precept ASC Precept
Band D* Increase
£ p.a
Total ASC Precept
Band D Charge
£ p.a.
2016/17 2% £22.94 £22.94
2017/18 2% £23.68 £46.62
2018/19 2% £24.44 £71.06
2019/20 2% £25.22 £96.28
2020/21 2% £26.03 £122.31
2021/22 3% £40.60 £162.91
2022/23 1% £14.21 £177.12
2023/24 2% £28.70 £205.82
* Band D is the standard measure of Council Tax used nationally.

The method used to calculate the Adult Social Care precept and how it is shown on Council Tax Bills is prescribed by Government in regulation.

The regulations require that Council Tax bills show the annual ASC precept percentage increase and the Total ASC precept amount since 2016/17.

The calculation of the 2% ASC precept for 2023/24 is illustrated below and is based on the total Telford & Wrekin Council Tax for 2022/23 (and not based on the 2022/23 ASC precept itself).

This table shows Band D.
  Band D  
2022/23 Total Telford & Wrekin Council Tax £1435.23 This is the Telford & Wrekin Council element of the council tax bill and excludes charges for Police, Fire & Parishes
2% of the 2022/23 Charge (2% x £1,435.23) £28.70 The ASC Precept is calculated as a percentage of the previous years’ total and not as a percentage of the 2022/23 ASC charge.
Add the 2022/23 ASC Precept Charge £177.12 This is the cumulative ASC precept amounts since the precept was introduced in 2016/17
2023/24 ASC Precept Charge £205.82 This is the 2022/23 ASC precept charge (Band D)
2023/24 ASC Precept Increase 2%  

The above illustration is based on Band D. Every property is allocated a valuation band from ‘A’ to ‘H’ and each band pays a different amount of Council Tax, proportionate to Band D (A the lowest, H the highest). 

Your Council Tax, and therefore your ASC precept will depend on the valuation band your property is in. 

The 2022/23 ASC precept charge for the different Bands is shown below:

This table shows the 2023/24 ASC precept charge for the different Bands.
Band ASC precept charge
Band A £137.21
Band B £160.08
Band C £182.95
Band D £205.82
Band E £251.55
Band F £297.29
Band G £343.03
Band H £411.64

Last updated: 21/07/2023 09:29