What does Council Tax pay for?

2. Council Tax Levels and Budget Information

The main sources of income that support the Council’s net revenue expenditure budget are:

  • Council Tax (including the Adult Social Care Precept)
  • Business Rates
  • Central Government Grants

The following tables and information show:

  • Council Tax levels for 2022/23 compared to 2021/22
  • Gross Income and Expenditure levels
  • How the Council’s budget has changed compared to 2021/22
  • A summary of where money is spent and where funding comes from

Council Tax Levels 

The Council Tax payable for 2022/23 for Band D properties is presented below. It is split into separate elements and includes a comparison against 2021/22 charges, where appropriate.

Council Tax Element

2021/22 
Band D Council Tax

2022/23  
Band D Council Tax

Change

Change
  £ £ £ %
Oldham Council Services 1,538.97 1,573.25 34.28 * 1.99
Adult Social Care Precept 183.97 218.43 34.46 * 2.00
Council Tax for Council Services 1,722.94 1,791.68 68.74 3.99
Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner Precept 218.30 228.30 10.00 4.58
Mayoral General Precept (including Fire Services)  90.95 102.95 12.00 13.19
TOTAL BAND D COUNCIL TAX 2,032.19 2,122.93 90.74 4.47
Saddleworth Parish Council  23.51 24.31 0.80 3.40
Shaw & Crompton Parish Council 17.37 17.89 0.52 3.00

* Percentage increase compared to 2021/22 Council Tax for Oldham Council Services of £1,722.94.

The Council was required to calculate its Relevant Basic Amount of Council Tax to determine whether it needed to hold a Council Tax referendum. A referendum would have been required if there had been an increase above the level Central Government considers to be excessive. 

This “excessiveness” is determined annually but for 2022/23 for Oldham was set at a 4% increase above the respective Council Tax for the previous year, comprising a maximum of 2% for Adult Social Care and 2% for other Council Services. The increase of 3.99% shown in the table above was not therefore classed as excessive and did not trigger a referendum.

The amounts shown for Saddleworth and Shaw and Crompton Parish Councils are only payable by residents living in those Parish areas.