Council Tax
It’s all about the money, money, money
What does local government need from a new Government on finance? Councils must be fully funded if they are to make a difference, says LGA Liberal Democrat Group leader Cllr Howard Sykes.
Councils should be leading the queue for reinvestment
What does the LGA's Labour Group want from a new Government on local finance? Councils' funding must be permanently protected from the vagaries of national Government, argues Cllr Nick Forbes.
Conservatives call for care consensus in cautious manifesto
The Conservatives are set to keep the council tax cap, seek cross-party consensus on social care reform and toughen powers to tackle illegal traveller encampments if they win the General Election.
Surge in number of council tax fraud cases
The number of council tax fraud cases uncovered by local authorities increased by a fifth over the past year, new research has found.
Just a lull in the funding storm?
David Phillips examines the choices the next Government will face, including whether (and how much) to raise taxes. What it decides could have big implications for councils and those who rely on their services.
How are we going to make spending vows a reality?
As the main political parties toss around their policy promises and spending pledges, they face a huge dilemma, says Heather Jameson. Just how much are they willing to raise taxes – or devolve them – to fix this?
IFS research claims councils need billions more in funding
Councils will need billions of extra pounds worth of funding in the next parliament if they are to meet the rising cost of adult social care, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has calculated.
Seven Ways to ‘Fix’ £billions of Government Grant Money
Over eight years the local government funding formula has shifted money from poor to rich, from North to South, from inner to outer London and from urban to rural areas, says Cllr Graham Chapman. ‘The poorer the area the more it has lost.’
Rich residents choose to help rough sleepers
The first local authority in the country to allow its richest residents to pay extra council tax has announced how nearly £200,000 will be spent.
What will it take to bite the bullet on finance?
A new report has called for a 'levelling up' - not just of devo deals, but a rebalancing of the North/South divide, says Heather Jameson - and 'now it seems the carrot is to offer the option of local government reorganisation'.
Easy come, easy go
Perhaps it was all the fives involved that saw Fife Council deposit nearly £300,000 too much into the bank account of one of its citizens by mistake.
It’s a fiscal drag
If we are ever going to unlock the benefits and freedoms that fiscal devolution could engender in localities, we have to set out what the political problem is, writes Jonathan Werran.
What does our sector want?
It seems the appetite for localism and fiscal devolution is outweighed by fears the burden of care will swallow up all the resources, according to the findings of a survey of chief executives. Heather Jameson reports
Queen's speech: Social care White Paper to be published
The Government has promised to finally bring forward proposals to reform adult social care and will consult on providing councils with the power to introduce an annual 2% precept.
COSLA conference: Ex-minister hints at council tax cap relaxation
A former SNP minister has suggested there could be a relaxation of the cap on council tax.
Spending Round still leaves uncertainties
The proposed threshold of 2% for referenda on 'excessive' council tax increases is a retrograde step, when the principle was 3% for the current financial year, says Ian Miller.
Consultation opens on local government finance settlement
Consultation on the local government finance settlement for 2020/21 has been opened by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
Council to consider name change to cut ‘confusion’
Members of Babergh DC will be asked to change the council’s name next month because people struggle with its location and pronunciation.
Data the key to supporting through UC
As Universal Credit replaces Housing Benefit, local authorities will lose access to the rich data that allows them to target support, warns Deven Ghelani.
Preserving the delicate balance
Bob Neill says that in too many cases the delicate balance between recovering what is owed to councils and providing a duty of care to the vulnerable is not being achieved.