The government has set out funding plans for councils in England so they can continue to deliver the services their residents need.
The government has today (19 December 2017) set out funding plans for councils in England so they can continue to deliver the services their residents need while also protecting Council Tax payers from excessive increases in their bills.
Confirming the local government funding arrangements for 2018 to 2019 – the third year of the £200 billion 4-year funding offer accepted by 97% of councils in 2016 - Communities Secretary Sajid Javid announced measures to give local authorities additional freedom to ensure they can protect services for some of their most vulnerable residents.
Local authorities will now see 2 years of real terms increases in resources available to local government, and from 2015 to 2020, councils in England have access to over £200 billion to deliver the high-quality services their local communities need.
Today the Communities Secretary confirmed that the referendum threshold has been set in line with inflation, and so setting the core Council Tax referendum principles at 3%.
This change, combined with the additional flexibility on the Adult Social Care precept confirmed last year, gives local authorities the independence they need to relieve pressure on local services, including adults and children’s social care, while also recognising that many households face their own pressures.
Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said:
"Our historic 4-year funding settlement gave authorities the certainty to plan ahead; with over £200 billion available over the spending period.
"However, I am aware of the pressures facing councils and this is why I am giving them more flexibility, so they have greater control over the money they raise to address local needs.
"This strikes a balance between giving councils the ability to make decisions to meet pressures and ensure that our most vulnerable in society get the support they need while protecting residents against excessive Council Tax bill rises."