SOCIAL CARE

Scottish councils call for fair funding to avoid 'damaging consequences'

Council leaders in Scotland have called for an end to small ring-fenced pots of funding and no cap on council tax in this year’s Budget.

Council leaders in Scotland have called for an end to small ring-fenced pots of funding and no cap on council tax in this year's Budget.

In a new briefing, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) warned that communities in Scotland faced ‘unavoidable and damaging consequences' if councils failed to receive a fair funding settlement this year.

The briefing revealed that Scottish councils have a funding gap of £360m due to the impact of COVID-19 and loss of income.

Although the Scottish Government has awarded councils £1bn to help them through the pandemic, the briefing said this money had been ‘drip fed' to councils through 30 different funding pots.

COSLA urged any COVID-related funding for 2020/21 from the UK Government to be passed onto local government.

It also wants no cap on council tax, all policy commitments to be fully funded, additional social care costs met and adequate capital funding for affordable housing.

COSLA president, Cllr Alison Evison, said: ‘The reality is that in recent budgets, the Scottish Government has chosen not to provide enough funding for the essential services that communities rely on day in, day out.

'On top of this, this year we have had to contend with COVID-19, which has seen the inequality in our society grow.

'Our ability to recover from this and continue to deliver for Scotland's communities depends on a change of emphasis from Scottish Government that provides fair funding for council services.'

SOCIAL CARE

The secret ingredient is community crowdfunding

By Frank Kibble | 27 June 2025

In London Climate Action Week, Frank Kibble explains how everyday climate activism is being being funded by communities - with support from their council.

SOCIAL CARE

The power of the dream

By Jon Rouse | 27 June 2025

Jon Rouse says that rather than being a bureaucratic exercise, reorganisation is about complete reinvention of what the state exists to do – enabling communi...

SOCIAL CARE

We're ready to lead

By Joanna Killian | 27 June 2025

Ahead of the LGA Conference, Joanna Killian says the sector should take confidence in how far it has come and the potential that lies ahead, and that its fut...

SOCIAL CARE

Government isn't listening

26 June 2025

The Spending Review was a missed opportunity to sort out the funding crisis in local government, says Sir Ed Davey. He calls on government to be much bolder ...

Popular articles by Laura Sharman