About the ASC precept
We are legally required to publish the below statement:
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 2016-2017. It was originally made in respect of the financial years up to and including 2019-2020. 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 ASC precept for 2024-2025
The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced on 5 February 2024 that councils could charge up to 2% for the ASC precept for 2024-2025. This was part of the local government settlement for the financial year. The House of Commons approved the settlement on 7 February 2024.
The calculation of the ASC precept
The ASC precept is calculated on the whole of the West Sussex County Council element of Council Tax from the previous year. For example, the calculation for a band D property is as follows:
| Year | Previous year's total charge | Core increase | Adult social care increase | Percentage increase | Total charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2017 | £1,161.99 | £22.66 (1.95%) | £23.24 (2%) | 3.95 | £1,207.89 |
| 2017-2018 | £1,207.89 | £23.54 (1.95%) | £24.16 (2%) | 3.95 | £1,255.59 |
| 2018-2019 | £1,255.59 | £37.08 (2.95%) | £25.11 (2%) | 4.95 | £1,317.78 |
| 2019-2020 | £1,317.78 | £39.44 (2.99%) | £26.35 (2%) | 4.99 | £1,383.57 |
| 2020-2021 | £1,383.57 | £27.50 (1.99%) | £27.67 (2%) | 3.99 | £1,438.74 |
| 2021-2022 | £1,438.74 | £28.66 (1.99%) | £43.16 (3%) | 4.99 | £1,510.56 |
| 2022-2023 | £1,510.56 | £30.07 (1.99%) | £15.11 (1%) | 2.99 | £1,555.74 |
| 2023-2024 | £1,555.74 | £46.56 (2.99%) | £31.11 (2%) | 4.99 | £1,633.41 |
| 2024-2025 | £1,633.41 | £48.87 (2.99%) | £32.67 (2%) | 4.99 | £1,714.95 |
The cumulative adult social care precept charge since 2016 for a band D property is £248.58.
Return to the About the Council Tax charge page.