‘Indicative numbers’ for the amount councils will receive in 2020/21 will not be published before next month’s Spending Review, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has admitted after it missed a self-imposed deadline.

MHCLG was also unable to confirm this week whether the fair funding review and 75% business rates retention would be rolled out as planned from April.

The lack of clarity means that eight months before the start of the new financial year – with a £7.4bn funding gap looming for social care – local authorities have no idea what their funding settlement will be in 2020/21 or beyond.

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