Where your Council Tax goes

The government has allowed councils that provide social care to adults to increase their share of Council Tax. This additional Council Tax charge is called the adult social care precept.

This started in 2016 and it is a government requirement that this precept is shown as a separate line on the bill with an amount that is the total for this additional precept, rather than the total spend on adult social care.

The 3% increase shown on the bill is an increase on the whole Kent County Council (KCC) amount which results in a total KCC increase of 2.9995% (or 3.0% when rounded to one decimal place).

The percentage increase is calculated by the total for Kent County Council and the adult social care precept.

• In 2024/25 the total precept is £1610.82 (£1,377.81 plus £233.01)
• In 2023/24 the total precept is £1534.23 (£1,331.82 plus £202.41)
• In 2022/23 the total precept is £1,461.24 (£1,287.99 plus £173.25)
• In 2021/22 the total precept is £1,418.76 (£1,259.64 plus £159.12)
• In 2020/21 the total precept is £1,351.26 (£1,232.64 plus £118.62)
• In 2019/20 the total precept is £1,299.42 (£1,206.72 plus £92.70)
• In 2018/19 the total was £1,237.68 (£1,169.64 + £68.04)
• In 2017/18 the total was £1,178.82 (£1,134.36 + £44.46)
• In 2016/17 the total precept was £1,133.55 (£1,111.77 + £21.78)

The income generated from this charge is ring-fenced, meaning it can only be used for adult social care services.

Kent County Council is the authority which provides adult social care services, and we collect this charge on their behalf.

More about adult social care (KCC website)

Government statement concerning adult social care funding

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 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 It was originally made in respect of the financial years up to and including 2019/2020.

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.

Thanet District Council, Kent County Council, The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent and Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority together deliver most of the local services in your area. If you live in an area with a parish or town council or that has charter trustees, they too provides some local services.

The Council Tax you pay is collected by Thanet District Council on behalf of all the above authorities. The total amount is then divided between these authorities.

Council Tax breakdown by band 2023/24

Council Tax percentage breakdown 2022/23

• Kent County Council 70.60%
• Thanet District Council 11.76%
• The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent 11.19%
• Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority 4.02%
• Town and parish councils (average) 2.43%

Information from the other authorities who deliver services in your area

• Kent County Council
• The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent
• Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority
• Parish council contact details

Thanet District Council, Kent County Council, The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent and Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority together deliver most of the local services in your area. If you live in an area with a parish or town council or that has charter trustees, they too provides some local services.

The Council Tax you pay is collected by Thanet District Council on behalf of all the above authorities. The total amount is then divided between these authorities.

Council Tax breakdown by band 2022/23

Council Tax percentage breakdown 2022/23

• Kent County Council 70.58%
• Thanet District Council 11.98%
• The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent 11.02%
• Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority 3.98%
• Town and parish councils (average) 2.44%

Information from the other authorities who deliver services in your area

• Kent County Council
• The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent
• Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority
• Parish council contact details

Thanet District Council, Kent County Council, The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent and Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority together deliver most of the local services in your area. If you live in an area with a parish or town council or that has charter trustees, they too provides some local services.

The Council Tax you pay is collected by Thanet District Council on behalf of all the above authorities. The total amount is then divided between these authorities.

Council Tax breakdown by band 2021/22

Council Tax percentage breakdown 2021/22

• Kent County Council 70.60%
• Thanet District Council 12.10%
• The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent 10.86%
• Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority 4.02%
• Town and parish councils (average) 2.42%

Information from the other authorities who deliver services in your area

• Kent County Council
• The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent
• Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority
• Parish council contact details

Where your Council Tax goes 2020/21

Thanet District Council, Kent County Council, The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent and Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority together deliver most of the local services in your area. If you live in an area with a parish or town council or that has charter trustees, they too provides some local services.

The Council Tax you pay is collected by Thanet District Council on behalf of all the above authorities. The total amount is then divided between these authorities.

Council Tax breakdown by band 2020/21

Council Tax percentage breakdown 2020/21

• Kent County Council 70.36%
• Thanet District Council 12.40%
• The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent 10.58%
• Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority 4.13%
• Town and parish councils (average) 2.53%

Information from the other authorities who deliver services in your area

• Kent County Council
• The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent
• Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority
• Parish council contact details

Where your Council Tax goes 2019/20

Thanet District Council, Kent County Council, The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent and Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority together deliver most of the local services in your area. If you live in an area with a parish or town council or that has charter trustees, they too provides some local services.

The Council Tax you pay is collected by Thanet District Council on behalf of all the above authorities. The total amount is then divided between these authorities.

Council Tax breakdown by band 2019/20

Council Tax percentage breakdown 2019/20

• Kent County Council 72.05%
• Thanet District Council 12.93%
• The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent 10.71%
• Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority 4.31%

Information from the other authorities who deliver services in your area

• Kent County Council
• The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent
• Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority
• Parish council contact details

Where your Council Tax goes 2018/19

Thanet District Council, Kent County Council, The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent and Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority together deliver most of the local services in your area. If you live in an area with a parish or town council or that has charter trustees, they too provides some local services.

The Council Tax you pay is collected by Thanet District Council on behalf of all the above authorities. The total amount is then divided between these authorities.

Council Tax breakdown by band 2018/19

Council Tax percentage breakdown 2018/19

• Kent County Council 72.43%
• Thanet District Council 13.25%
• The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent 9.90%
• Kent and Medway Fire and Rescue Authority 4.42%