Politics
Mitcham Adult Social Care Precept Referendum: Effects on Household Council Tax and Local Care Provision
The July 15 referendum asks Mitcham residents to approve an adult social care precept that would add to annual council tax bills issued by Merton Council while directing new revenue to home visits and residential placements.
How we reported this
Voters across Mitcham face a single-question ballot on 15 July that would authorise Merton Council to apply an adult social care precept on top of the existing council tax. Approval would raise the precept component by up to 2 per cent for the 2026-27 tax year, affecting every chargeable property in the borough.
The measure follows the government’s decision to lift the referendum threshold for social care precepts in the 2025 spending review. Mitcham’s share of the national adult social care budget has remained flat for three years while demand for home-care packages has risen, according to the council’s latest medium-term financial plan.
Direct consequences for residents
Property owners in wards such as Figgs Marsh and Lavender Fields would see the change appear on their April 2027 council tax demand. Renters would encounter the increase indirectly through adjustments to housing benefit calculations or private tenancy agreements. Local advocates note that the extra revenue is ring-fenced for adult social care, so it cannot be diverted to road repairs or library hours.
Policy analysts say the precept would fund an estimated 180 additional weekly home-care visits and 12 new residential placements within the first twelve months. Residents already receiving care packages would not face new charges, but the council states that waiting-list reductions are the primary target of the additional funds.
Budget figures and next steps
The council’s 2025-26 budget paper records that the current adult social care precept raises £4.8 million annually. A further 2 per cent increase would add roughly £96,000 per year, a figure drawn directly from the same document. The Office for National Statistics reports that the average Band D council tax bill in London boroughs stood at £1,900 in 2025-26.
Ballot papers will be posted on 8 July. Results are due the following day. If the measure passes, the higher rate takes effect on 1 April 2027; if it fails, the precept remains at its present level and the council must identify alternative savings within the adult social care budget.