Annual report 2023/24
Our budget and your Council Tax
These pages offer information about our budget for the financial year 2023/24, and how we spend taxpayers’ money.
You can find out more about how your money is used to help support the town in this year’s Council Tax booklet.
We use our budget to provide hundreds of services to Swindon's residents. While many of our services are highly visible, like waste collections or road maintenance, many others go unseen, such as providing foster carers for children in crisis, caring for older people and supporting rough sleepers.
Providing a lifeline for residents who need us most
Over 80 percent of this year’s budget will be spent on helping those who need it most in our community, and with demand and costs for these services continuing to increase, it means a lot less can be spent on other services.
If you don’t access social care services yourself, or know a relative or friend that does, you might not know a great deal about what ‘social care’ actually is. It includes all forms of personal care and practical assistance for children, young people and adults who require extra support and need to be kept safe.
For example, in 2022/23, your Council Tax helped to provide:
- residential or nursing care placements for 567 people
- daily help for 1,475 people to live safely in their own homes
- care placements for 265 children
Without these vital safeguarding services, which we are required to provide by law, many adults and children would not be able to live their lives safely, in a supportive environment. Your money has a life-changing impact on those who depend on these vital services.
Other services your Council Tax supports
There are hundreds of other vital services your Council Tax helps fund, including:
- road maintenance
- libraries
- waste and recycling services
- planning
Over the past year your money has helped fund these everyday services, but has also funded vital support which makes a real difference to the lives of those most in need.
Switch to digital bills
The majority of our residents receive their Council Tax bill in paper form by post. However, switching to digital bills is a more environmentally-friendly way of receiving your bill.
Financial support
You may be able to seek financial help with your Council Tax if you meet the required criteria. To help with paying your Council Tax, you can:
- find out about applying for Council Tax Support
- talk things through with our Council Tax office, who you can call on 0345 302 2316