Call to Chancellor: Give us ‘practical help’ with care costs

Councillor Stuart Matthews, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “We need to hear three things from the Chancellor tomorrow. The first is practical help for councils like ours to maintain adults and children’s services, which face enormous cost pressures.

“For example, the difference in funding for children's services between the county council and many other councils is stark. Unfair allocations mean that cities and big towns are able to spend 73% more on children’s services than rural councils like ours, regardless of need.”

He added: “Recent figures from the County Councils’ Network show that councils across the country will rack-up a deficit of £10.4 billion by March 2028 for the provision of Special Education Needs (SEND). All councils need support from the government in reducing this crippling financial liability.

“The second priority is to recognise that county councils serving rural communities face greater cost pressures than large towns and cities and we need to see that properly recognised in core funding allocations. This has been a problem for years, but if ministers want ‘growth in every postcode’ as they claim, then they will have to give councils like ours a fair, longer-term settlement.

Councillor Matthews added: “Finally, the Chancellor needs to keep taxes rises and charges to a minimum. Here at County Hall, we’re focused on reducing costs and cutting waste as we deliver our Medium-Term Financial Strategy which will eliminate £44 million of costs and help use set a competitive council tax.

“It’s about time central government took a lesson from local government and tightened its belt accordingly.”