Adult Social Care Precept

Each year, Cambridgeshire County Council sets its precept, which is the amount of money it requires to be raised via council tax. An increase in the precept is presented as a percentage.

Since 1 April 2016, adult social care (ASC) authorities have been able to charge an additional “precept” on its council tax without holding a referendum, to assist the authority in meeting its expenditure on adult social care.

Cambridgeshire County Council has elected to make use of this offer in each year from 2016-17 to 2024-25 and has decided to make use of this option again for 2025-26. The Adult Social Care Precept amount for 2025-2026 accounts for 2% of the 4.99% increase in the County Council’s element of council tax bills.

The increase in your council tax bill each year as a result of this precept has raised money that has been ringfenced to spend on adult social care.

The table below shows how each band’s County Council tax charge is made up, including the elements of the tax that relate to ASC and to general council tax:

Band	Element	2024-25 County Council tax charge	2.99% increase (rounded) relating to general council tax**	2% increase relating to ASC	2025-26 County Council tax charge
A	Total Band A County council tax	£1,079.88	£32.28	£21.60	£1,133.76
A	ASC part of total tax	£158.03	-	£21.60	£179.63
A	General part of total tax	£921.85	£32.28	-	£954.13
B	Total Band B County council tax	£1,259.86	£37.66	£25.20	£1,322.72
B	ASC part of total tax	£184.37	-	£25.20	£209.57
B	General part of total tax	£1,075.49	£37.66	-	£1,113.15
C	Total Band C County council tax	£1,439.84	£43.04	£28.80	£1,511.68
C	ASC part of total tax	£210.71	-	£28.80	£239.51
C	General part of total tax	£1,229.13	£43.04	-	£1,272.17
D	Total Band D County council tax	£1,619.82	£48.42	£32.40	£1,700.64
D	ASC part of total tax	£237.05	-	£32.40	£269.40
D	General part of total tax	£1,382.77	£48.42	-	£1,431.20
E	Total Band E County council tax	£1,979.78	£59.18	£39.60	£2,078.56
E	ASC part of total tax	£289.72	-	£39.60	£329.32
E	General part of total tax	1,690.06	£59.18	-	£1,749.24
F	Total Band F County council tax	£2,339.74	£69.95	£46.79	£2,456.48
F	ASC part of total tax	£342.41	-	£46.79	£389.20
F	General part of total tax	£1,997.33	£69.95	-	£2,067.28
G	Total Band G County council tax	£2,669.70	£80.71	£53.99	£2,834.40
G	ASC part of total tax	£395.09	-	£53.99	£449.08
G	General part of total tax	£2,304.61	£80.71	-	£2,385.32
H	Total Band H County council tax	£3,239.64	£96.85	£64.79	£3,401.28
H	ASC part of total tax	£474.09	-	£64.79	£538.89
H	General part of total tax	£2,765.55	£96.85	-	£2,862.39

** We round down one ninth of the total increase (general and ASC) to two decimal places so that the ratios between the bands are exact and so that the increase always remains below the referendum limit. This also means that the apportionment between general CT and ASC precept is not exact as we round after applying both elements of the precept rather than after applying each element individually.

The Secretary of State 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 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 assist the authority in meeting 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.

Statement concerning adult social care funding