The Local Government Association (LGA) is asking the Government to use its first CSR in ten years to plug the shortfalls that local Government will face post-Covid.
The LGA has used its Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) submission to explain how approximately £10bn more is needed for local government to not only stay at a level, but also respond to increasing demand on services.
One of the main services that are being affected are child health services and homelessness services, where councils have been stretched beyond their budgets in order to cope with increasing demand, which is likely to increase as the country moves through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cllr James Jamieson, LGA Chairman, said:
“The pandemic has shone a light on the highly valued services councils provide - including public health, adult social care, children’s services, homelessness support, and help for those in financial hardship.
“Councils are focused on supporting communities through this crisis and beyond as we look to rebuild our economy, get people back to work and level up inequalities. That is why the first Comprehensive Spending Review in more than a decade will shape the direction of this country for years to come.
“Securing the immediate and long-term sustainability of local services must be the top priority.”
The LGA is also proposing more long-term plans for local government, such as a three-year local government finance settlement, which would mean local authorities are able to offer local solutions to national problems.
