Stuart Anderson MP has endorsed plans to increase the funding available to the City of Wolverhampton Council by 10.1%, which is in line with September’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate. The Council’s core spending power will stand at £296.4 million – an extra up to £27 million than last year, ensuring it can continue to deliver vital frontline services. This represents £2,621 per dwelling, or an extra £240 in funding per household. It is part of the Local Government Finance Settlement – the annual determination of funding to local government. Following the announcement, the Settlement is now subject to public consultation for four weeks until the 16th of January 2023.
Under the plans, funding available to the City of Wolverhampton Council would have increased by 32.2% since 2015/16, representing an additional £72.3 million. For Wolverhampton, the plan includes £24.7 million for social care. It also includes £14.8 million from the Improved Better Care Fund, £3.2 million from the Adult Social Care (ASC) Market Sustainability and Improvement, and £2.1 million from the Discharge Fund to ensure those people who need to draw on social care when they are discharged from hospital can leave as soon as possible. The City will also get £3.1 from the Services Grant and a £700,000 New Homes Bonus which reflects and incentivises housing growth in the local authority area.
Overall, the national settlement confirms £59.5 billion for councils in England next year - an increase of 9.2% on last year, making available almost £5 billion in extra resources. In recognition of inflationary pressures, the Settlement includes a one-off Funding Guarantee to ensure that every council sees at least a 3% increase in Core Spending Power next year before any local decisions on council tax rates are made. The most relatively deprived areas of England (the upper decile of the Index of Multiple Deprivation) will receive 17% more per household. Social care is prioritised, with an extra £2 billion.
Alongside the Settlement, the Government has announced £100 million of additional funding for local authorities to support the most vulnerable households in England - delivering on the manifesto commitment to protect local taxpayers from excessive increases. This funding will allow councils to deliver extra support to the 3.8 million households already receiving council tax support, whilst also providing councils with the resources and flexibility to determine the local approaches to support other vulnerable households in their area. The City of Wolverhampton Council will receive £660,529*.
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.”
Stuart Anderson MP said: “The City of Wolverhampton Council plays a valuable role in supporting our local community, and I am delighted that we have been able to secure a funding increase of up to 10.1% for it, which is in line with September’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate and represents £2,621 per dwelling. This is a strong settlement which delivers an extra £5 billion for councils across the country and will help them to become more responsive to the needs of local people, support for the most vulnerable in our community, and enable tangible improvements in social care.”
*Figure added on 23/12/22.