Budget and council tax 2024/25

Council tax helps to fund a wide range of public services in Hampshire. A selection of the services provided by Hampshire County Council is listed in the box to the right. Many of these are available to be used by all, such as libraries, or all in particular age groups, such as schools. Other services are focused on the most vulnerable, such as social care for adults and children.

The charts further down this webpage provide a summary of what the budget is spent on and how it is funded. Apart from schools (which are mainly funded by a specific Government grant), a large proportion of our budget is spent on providing social care. Continuing high demand and price increases mean that social care services continue to be under heavy financial pressure. This situation is affecting councils across the country, including in Hampshire.

To help fund these services, Hampshire County Council’s council tax will increase this year by just under 5%. Two fifths of the funds raised from the increase will be dedicated to helping fund adult social care. We fully appreciate the cost of living pressures facing households and the amount of council tax we charge for each band will still remain one of the lowest of any county council in England.

After over a decade of service transformation and achievement of efficiency savings, we continue to operate as efficiently as possible and are calling on the Government to increase grant funding for councils. Service levels this year will remain similar to previous years. However, the growing cost of providing services means that in future years it is likely that some services will have to be reduced, as the Council is legally required to have a balanced budget (i.e. expenditure matches income). We recently consulted on the difficult decisions that may need to be taken in the Future Services Consultation.

In addition to running day to day services the Council is responsible for providing essential infrastructure. To help keep highways in good condition we are planning to spend £163 million over the next three years on the structural maintenance of roads and bridges, together with £73 million on transport improvement projects. There continues to be a need for more school places, with £192 million scheduled to be spent over three years to build and extend schools, along with £76 million for maintaining existing school buildings in good condition. Ensuring care home buildings for older people are fit for purpose is another major priority over the next three years, with £173 million budgeted to be spent on this.

You may notice that Hampshire County Council’s total council tax is split into two separate lines on council tax bills. This is because Government legislation requires the adult social care precept (which is the part of council tax used to fund adult social care pressures) to be shown separately.  More information about the adult social care precept and how council tax is calculated.

What the budget will be spent on

Notes about the chart

Universal Services – This department provides a range of services available to everyone in Hampshire, including highways, waste disposal and recreation.

Hampshire 2050 – This department provides services focused on improving Hampshire for the future, such as skills and economic development.

How the budget is funded