Finance Settlement
Fair Cost of Care fund won't be enough, say providers
The Fair Cost of Care fund aimed at stopping local care markets being destabilised won’t be enough to fix ‘massive staff shortages’ and mend a sector in crisis, says the CEO of the National Care Forum.
A late-notice, short-term and partial settlement poses problems
There may be a clue about why the sector only has a one-year settlement in the lack of announcements around the fair funding review, the overdue business rates reset, and the delayed levelling up White Paper, says Abdool Kara.
Local government's finance community are left scratching their heads
Tony Kirkham hopes the Government looks at alternative ways of managing future transitions and firms up the services grant in order to give a greater level of planning certainty.
Districts call for new homes bonus certainty
District councils have called for long-term certainty over the future of the dwindling new homes bonus (NHB).
LGA plea for funding certainty
A call for more certainty over future finances for the sector has been made by the Local Government Association (LGA).
Looking ahead with trepidation
Professor Martin Reeves digests the contents of the provisional local government finance settlement and highlights the key reasons why it will fail to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
This provisional settlement makes the job of districts harder
The Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement falls short of what district councils need and leaves funding gaps that undermine the ability to deliver essential services, says Cllr Sharon Taylor.
This settlement is very much a stop gap
Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton of SIGOMA says a ‘stopgap’ settlement with a welcome funding boost needs to be followed by a fair funding review that supports the Government’s levelling up agenda.
The problems with the finance settlement
Ian Miller examines the risks and uncertainties for districts in the provisional settlement, and lists the uncomfortable topics he says ‘cannot be avoided for much longer’.
Counties' concern at care funding
County councils have expressed concern at the level of central funding to rebalance care markets.
Gove unveils £54bn finance settlement
The provisional local government finance settlement for 2022-23 represents an additional 4% increase compared to 2021-22 - but the sector fears it is not enough.
Not top-down reform – but beware the bottom-up push
While we have ruled out top-down reorganisation of local government, the prospect of forcing bottom-up reform remains, says Heather Jameson.
Welcome words on business rates should be backed up in settlement
The secretary of state now has a real opportunity to improve matters by introducing a business rates ‘re-set’ as part of the provisional settlement, says Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton.
Road to reform – a blurred vision
Achieving the Government’s vision for the future of adult social care will take much more investment than is set out on the face of the white paper, says health and social care policy manager at CIPFA Dr Eleanor Roy.
Call for minimum funding 'floor'
Hampshire CC’s leader has called for the introduction of a funding ‘floor’ to ensure all councils receive a minimum level of core spending power.
Government can’t keep ‘flying blind’ on council finances
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is 'licking its fingers and sticking them in the air in an attempt to test the temperature of local authority funding', says Heather Jameson.
Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig need to cut Peppa Pig some slack
Did the secretary of state Michael Gove signal last week that some functions or powers are going to be stripped away from districts and gifted to elected mayors, asks Ian Miller.
‘We are in a solid position'
Are Nottinghamshire CC’s finances on a firm enough footing to deal with the challenges ahead this winter? Ann McGauran reports.
A bounce back Budget
We got spending – and lots of it – in the Budget, yet its contents reflected conflict within the Cabinet on whether to push ahead with a Milton Friedman-style smaller government. Sir Bob Neill explains.
Raising council tax is a 'threat' not an opportunity, says Whiteman
Government plans to give councils the option to raise council feels more like a ‘threat’ than an opportunity, finance expert Rob Whiteman has said.
