The 2024-2025 budget for Ceredigion County Council has been approved in a Council meeting held on Thursday, 29 February 2024.
Like all Local Authorities across Wales, Ceredigion County Council continues to face severe financial pressures, where maintaining Council services is proving extremely challenging.
The estimated revenue pressures being faced by the Council for 2024-2025 total some £18m, equivalent to a Ceredigion specific inflation factor of 10%. After allowing for a 2.9% core funding increase from Welsh Government, a budget shortfall of £14m has needed to be found from a combination of budget reductions and Council Tax increase considerations.
Ceredigion County Council’s Budget for 2024-2025 has been set at £193.572m. This results in a Council Tax increase for County Council Services of 10.0%, with a further 1.1% Council Tax increase being required to fully fund a 12% increase in the Fire levy set by Mid and West Wales Fire Authority. The combined 11.1% increase equates to an increase of £172.45 for a Band D property.
75% of the Council’s Budget is now being spent on Through Age Social Care and Wellbeing Services, Schools and Lifelong Learning and Highways and Environmental Services. After allowing for other fixed costs (for example – the Fire Authority Levy and the Council Tax Reduction Scheme), there remains only 14% for all other Council Services. Follow this link to see an infographic titled ‘A snapshot of Ceredigion services’, which summarises our main financial costs: www.ceredigion.gov.uk/resident/news/2024/council-budget-approved-for-2024-2025/
Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of Ceredigion County Council, said: “This has been a difficult budget setting process in what has been a less than adequate settlement from the Welsh Government, below the 3.1% promised. These are not decisions that we want to have to make but are necessary in order to protect frontline services where possible. The outlook for future years is poor and we will have to undertake a fundamental review of the purpose of the Council. In the meantime, we continue to lobby Welsh Government to ensure that Ceredigion gets a fair budget in future years. I am grateful for all the collaboration that has taken place to present this budget, as well as the work between the Council and town and community councils as they take on additional responsibilities.”
Support may be available through our Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction Scheme. Find out more information and if you are eligible here: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction
You can also call Clic Customer Services on 01545 570881 or e-mail [email protected] for help and advice.
