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Proposed increase in council tax

Draft plans for 2024/25 include a general council tax increase of 2.99%. 

Most properties in the borough are in bands A and B. Approximately 20% of the council's income comes from council tax.

We won’t make a formal decision about council tax until the final budget is approved by Council on 22 February 2024.

These figures just relate to Walsall Council’s portion of your Council Tax bill and does not include the amounts for the Police and Crime Commissioner or the Fire and Rescue Authority. Details of the total council tax amounts can be found on our Council Tax charges page.

Table 1: Increase in council tax of 2.99% by council tax band
Band	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
Number of houses in the borough	51,204	27,444	18,729	10,405	5,583	2,379	831	53
Current charge 2023/24	£1,323.65	£1,544.26	£1,764.87	£1,985.48	£2,426.70	£2,867.92	£3,309.13	£3,970.96
New charge 2024/25	£1,363.23	£1,590.43	£1,817.64	£2,044.85	£2,499.26	£2,953.67	£3,408.07	£4,089.69
Annual increase	£39.58	£46.17	£52.77	£59.37	£72.56	£85.75	£98.94	£118.73
Weekly increase	£0.76	£0.89	£1.01	£1.14	£1.39	£1.64	£1.90	£2.28
Daily increase	£0.11	£0.13	£0.14	£0.16	£0.20	£0.23	£0.27	£0.33

Council tax precept for adult social care

Councils that provide social care to adults are allowed to add an additional amount - called a precept - to council tax, to help fund adult social care.

The income generated from this charge is ring-fenced, meaning it can only be used for adult social care services. It recognises that we experience increased pressures in supporting a growing elderly population.  

Government introduced the adult social care precept in 2015. It allowed councils with adult social care responsibilities to increase their share of council tax by up to an extra 2%.

In 2016, it was announced that for the 3 years from 2017/18 to 2019/20 councils would be allowed to further increase the precept by up to 3% in any given year, but no more than 6% in total over those years. Walsall increased its social care precept by 3% in 2017/18, 2% in 2018/19, and 1% in 2019/20.

This was extended by a further:

2% for 2020/21
3% for 2021/22
1% for 2022/23
2% for 2023/24 (not taken due to cost of living pressures on residents)

The 2024/25 draft budget assumes a 4.99% council tax increase (2.99% general council tax and 2% for Adult Social Care precept), subject to confirmation of government referendum limits expected to be announced in the Autumn Statement on 22 November 2023.

The precept, if taken, would be ring fenced to spend on supporting Adult Social Care, in recognition that local authorities are experiencing increased demographic pressures in supporting an ever-increasing elderly population.  

Due to increased demand and changes in demographics, Adult Social Care continues to face on-going budget pressures, £13.05m of which is included in the approved budget for 2023/24, and £28.61m in the draft plans for 2024/25 subject to approval.  

Should the Administration recommend to Council the 2% additional increase in council tax from the Adult Social Care precept for 2024/25, this would be ring-fenced to Adult Social Care. A 2% increase would generate c£2.9m to support pressures within the service.

The following results in the adjusted council tax should the Adult Social Care precept be accepted:

Table 2: Increase in council tax of 4.99% (inclusive of 2% for adult social care) by council tax band
Band	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
New charge 2024/25	£1,389.70	£1,621.32	£1,852.94	£2,084.56	£2,547.79	£3,011.03	£3,474.26	£4,169.11
Annual increase	£66.05	£77.06	£88.07	£99.08	£121.09	£143.11	£165.13	£198.15
Weekly increase	£1.27	£1.48	£1.69	£1.90	£2.32	£2.74	£3.17	£3.80
Daily increase	£0.18	£0.21	£0.24	£0.27	£0.33	£0.39	£0.45	£0.54

Proposed increase in council tax

Council tax precept for adult social care

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