Title

FINANCE

Service costs 'unmanageable', city council warns

Coventry City Council has projected a £12.1m overspend in its budget and warned that service costs are becoming ‘unmanageable’.

Coventry City Council has projected a £12.1m overspend in its budget and warned that service costs are becoming ‘unmanageable'.

The local authority said that the predicted overspend was the result of rising costs and increases in demand for adults and children's social care.

The council spent around 40% of their budget on social care in 2011. In 2023 this figure has increased to almost 70%.

Coventry City Council's overspend in 2022/23 was £6.7m.

Cllr Richard Brown, cabinet member for Finance said that Coventry City Council, along with other public sector organisations, is heading towards a ‘tipping point'.

‘As well as dealing with greater numbers of vulnerable people who need complex care packages provided by external companies, the cost of all services continues to spiral due to inflation,' he said.

‘I am planning to write to the Government to request that they step in, otherwise more and more councils will find that they are simply unable to balance their budget.'

Research published today has found that local authorities are facing a £5.2bn deficit by April 2026 even after they have made £2.5bn of planned cuts.

FINANCE

Local councils: Funding the transition to care reform

By Colin Ansell | 19 October 2026

Before a National Care Service is created, a bridge over troubled water is needed. One possible answer is the creation of an Adult Social Care Transition Fra...

FINANCE

Councils' cash stash soars as millions go untouched

By By Neil Merrick | 24 September 2026

Local authorities in England paid more money into their reserves last year than they took out, Government figures have revealed.

FINANCE

As London's rough sleepers drop by 10% – can Burnham make that figure national?

By By Dan Peters | 13 August 2026

In his first speech after taking office, standing on the steps of Downing Street, Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to end rough sleeping.

FINANCE

The severed links in health and care integration

By Martin Ford | 06 August 2026

Despite recognition of the benefits of closer integration between health and social care, recent months have seen a flurry of breakups in partnerships betwee...

Popular articles by William Eichler

-->