posted on 02 February 2021, updated on 02 February 2021
The House of Commons has recently published Council Tax and financial resilience briefing papers.
Council Tax increases 2021-22 provides some brief information about council tax, the rises anticipated for 2021-22, and links to additional resources. The notes have been produced in preparation of an Opposition Day debate on anticipated rises in council tax in the 2021-22 financial year which is scheduled for Monday 25 January 2021.
Local authority financial resilience briefing paper summarises concerns around local authority financial resilience, brief details of the legal accountability structures faced by local authorities, and of the process that they must follow when developing their annual budgets. It also includes a separate section on the financial challenges generated for local authorities by the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020/21 as well as details of the various funding support packages provided by the Government to local authorities in that financial year; brief details of support grants for businesses, distributed via local authorities; and changes to the timing of some existing grant provision, in order to minimise cashflow difficulties.
Both documents provide an insight into the forthcoming challenges that Local Authorities are facing in terms of financial stability and resilience.
Read the full council tax briefing here.
Read the full financial resilience briefing here.