Community services will have to be ‘drastically scaled back’ or cut altogether without further funding for councils, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
Despite the recent £600m funding boost, 85% of local authorities will have to make cuts to balance their 2024-25 budget, a survey by the LGA found.
Of councils with social care functions, three-quarters said cost savings would be needed in their adult social care budget, and 69% anticipated cuts in children’s social care.
The LGA said protecting social care from deeper cuts is having a knock-on effect on other services, with two-thirds of councils warning that communities will see cuts to neighbourhood services this year.
LGA chair Shaun Davies said: ‘Extra government funding will help councils this year but acute funding pressures remain and are forcing many councils to make stark choices about what popular services to cut.’
Councils surveyed said cuts would affect libraries, parks and green spaces, and sport, leisure and cultural services.
