Briefings and responses

From housing to public health, social care, culture and leisure services, councils lead local services that help prevent mental ill health, support early intervention and provide ongoing support.

The LGA and ADASS remain concerned about the variation across the country in eligibility rates for continuing healthcare under the current system.

In this submission we detail the unfunded cost pressures facing local government and why, with many local services facing significant funding gaps, it is vital that the Budget recognises that councils cannot continue without sufficient and sustainable resources.

Read our Autumn Budget on-the-day briefing.

Problem gambling can impact on individuals and their families’ physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing as well as having a wider impact on society through crime and disorder.

The LGA welcomes the ambition behind the draft accessibility action plan. It is vitally important that as many transport options as possible are open to everyone and councils will do all they can to help meet the goals contained within the plan.

Independent research for the LGA found that the cumulative impact of welfare reforms to 2020 will lead to falls in real income for many households. It is therefore vital the Government works with councils to ensure that UC is effective in incentivising work and increasing income from employment.

Many councils have been successful in developing innovative, cross-organisational approaches to delivering welfare reform locally. However, there have been substantial challenges presented by the scale of the reforms, including the introduction of UC alongside the wider reforms.

"The extra money for social care announced in the Spring Budget 2017 was a step in the right direction. However, it is only one-off funding which reduces each year and stops at the end of 2019/20. It is not a long-term solution."

EU laws impact many of the council services that affect people's day-to-day lives, from protecting people from unsafe food when they eat out to regulating how councils buy goods and services.