KCC publishes draft budget

The County Council has published its draft budget for 2016-17, to be put before County Councillors on 11 February.

As in previous years - but perhaps even more so - the key factors shaping the County Council's proposals have been increasing need for social care services, especially for the frail elderly, and reductions in government grant.

The Chancellor's Autumn Statement and Sprending Review in November set out the overall reduction in Revenue Support Grant (the main, non-ring fenced transfer from central to local government) but not how this would affect individual authorities. When these figures were released - as in previous years, just before Christmas - it became clear that shire authorities had suffered much more severe reductions than local government as a whole. For KCC, it was £46 million.

Pressures on adult social care for the coming year amount to £31 million (out of overall pressures of £80 million). As a result of this and the reductions in grant, KCC has had to find around £100 million in savings. It will also have to raise council tax by almost 4%, which raises £22m. In part, this will come from the 1.99% increase that the council is able to undertake without triggering a referendum, in addition, the government - recognising the pressures from demographic change and the National Living Wage on social care expenditure - is allowing councils with social care responsibilities, such as KCC, to levy a further 2% 'precept'.

Taken together, this will mean just over £40 extra on a Band C property, and of course more for higher banded properties. The Council is proposing this with considerable reluctance, but it is having to do so at a time when local government continues to deliver very large savings.

You can find out more about the council's proposals, including links to more detailed pages here.