Government pledges extra £1.6 billion for councils
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Councils across England will receive another £1.6 billion in
additional funding as they continue to respond to the coronavirus
pandemic, the Local Government Secretary has announced today. This
extra £1.6 billion takes the total given to councils to help their
communities through this crisis to over £3.2 billion, an
unprecedented level of additional...Request free trial
Councils across England will receive another £1.6 billion in additional funding as they continue to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, the Local Government Secretary has announced today. This extra £1.6 billion takes the total given to councils to help their communities through this crisis to over £3.2 billion, an unprecedented level of additional financial support in recent times. The funding will mean councils can continue to provide essential services and support to those who need it most. This includes getting rough sleepers off the street, supporting new shielding programmes for clinically extremely vulnerable people and assistance for our heroic public health workforce and fire and rescue services. The funding will also mean councils can provide vital services including adult social care and children’s services. This announcement follows an initial £1.6 billion given to councils last month which supported the work they have done to free up vital hospital beds and deliver essential supplies to the vulnerable. This has also helped get rough sleepers off the street and so far over 90% of those on the streets at the beginning of the crisis and known to local authorities - have been offered safe accommodation. Additional funding announced today will mean councils will be able to continue to support the most vulnerable people on the streets during the pandemic, deal with immediate pressures and provide additional support across a range of vital services. Making the announcement today, Robert Jenrick has written to all councils in England to thank them for their continued efforts as they work around the clock to support their residents. In his letter, the Local Government Secretary called them the “unsung heroes” of the coronavirus response who are helping to keep the country moving by ensuring vulnerable people receive the care they need and essential services continue. Local Government Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:
The funding is the latest support announced by the government for communities. The government is delivering essential supplies to extremely medically vulnerable people in England. The packages, which are being left on people’s doorsteps, contain essential food and household items such as pasta fruit, tea bags, tinned goods and biscuits for those who need to self-isolate at home but have no support network of family or friend to help them. Over 250,000 boxes have now been delivered, by next week we are on track to deliver nearly 300,000 more, in an operation of the scale not seen since the Second World War. Councils will also be allowed to defer £2.6 billion in payments to central government, and £850 million in social care grants will be paid up front this month in a move aimed at helping to ease immediate pressures on local authority cash flows. Last week, the Chancellor announced a £750 million package of support for charities. The government will continue to work with councils over the coming weeks to ensure they are managing as the pandemic progresses. Further informationThe Barnett consequentials mean an extra £300 million for the devolved administration, £155 million for Scotland, £95 million for Wales and £50 million for Northern Ireland. The money will be paid through a grant that is not ring-fenced, recognising that local authorities are best placed to decide how this funding is spent. Allocations to individual local authorities will follow as soon as practicable. The government has brought forward a number of measures to support councils during the pandemic. This includes:
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