Provisional local government finance settlement announced

Levelling up secretary Michael Gove has announced a £59.5 billion funding package for councils for the next financial year. The 9 per cent increase on the previous year is intended to ensure that councils can continue to deliver vital frontline services.

The settlement includes a one-off Funding Guarantee that ensures every council in England will see at least a 3 per cent increase in core spending power before any local decisions around council tax are made. There will also be a new £100 million scheme for councils to protect the most vulnerable households from council tax rises.

The most relatively deprived areas of England will receive 17 per cent more per household.

There will be £2 billion of additional grant funding for adult and children’s social care for 2023/24 and £300 million for NHS England to boost capacity by easing patient discharge.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: "Local government plays an absolutely vital role in helping us to level up, support the most vulnerable, and deliver key services that people rely on every single day.

"We recognise the pressures councils are facing right now and this spending boost will provide the support and funding local authorities need to continue delivering first rate public services."

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