Introduction
Since 2010–11 successive governments have reduced funding to English local authorities as part of their efforts to reduce the fiscal deficit. By 2017–18 government funding to authorities had fallen by 49.1% in real terms. Over the same period, local authorities have faced growing demand for key services such as adult and children’s social care, and housing services, alongside new cost pressures such as the National Living Wage. While local authorities have coped well in absorbing these costs, there is now growing evidence of pressure in the system. Local authorities are increasingly reliant on unsustainable measures such as reducing debt costs or drawing down their reserves. Local authorities with social care responsibilities overspent their service budgets by over £1 billion in 2016–17, and there is evidence of service reductions across a number of areas such as waste collection, libraries and bus services.
The Department is responsible for the financial framework for local government which covers the distribution of government funding alongside other factors such as arrangements for business rates retention, council tax, and commercial investment. The Department also takes the lead on assessing the funding requirements of local authorities as part of Spending Reviews and supporting the financial sustainability of the sector by changing the overall financial framework if required. A number of other government departments are responsible for policies and services that are delivered by local authorities. For instance, the Department for Education has policy responsibility for children’s social care services delivered by local authorities.
Published: 4 July 2018