Local government finance

In a new article in the Local Government Chronicle, IFS Associate Director looks at the tension between localised funding and centralised standard-setting in social care. The article is available here and reproduced below.

This article about social care spending was published in Prospect Magazine

This presentation briefly sets out some key issues for local government finance - including related figures for the Bristol area.

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Earlier this month the chancellor announced £2bn of new funding for social care in England, to be spread over three years: 2017-18 to 2019-20.

David Phillips, associate director at IFS, gave this presentation to the LGiU's Network on the Future of Local Democracy on 28th March 2017. It touches upon some of the main changes to local government over the last few years and years ahead, and key issues that arise.

The determinants of local police spending

Welsh funding: Assessing the fiscal framework deal

The fiscal framework and the Scottish budget process: some thoughts

In yesterday’s English Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, the government announced councils will be able to set a ‘Social Care Precept’ of 3% a year over the next two years, rather than the 2% a year previously planned, to raise additional funds for adult social care. We calculate that yesterday’s announcements could increase the amount available to spend on adult social care by a maximum by £700 million over the next two years relative to previous plans. But they provide no boost to spending beyond that.

The autumn statement, business rates, and local government

The impact of funding cuts and business rates retention in the North: latest IFS research

David Phillips, Senior research economist, gave this presentation on the implications of the Autumn Statement for local government to a range of council staff and other stakeholders.

Last month, researchers at the Institute for Fiscal Studies launched first paper the from a new programme on local government finance. This paper looked at a range of issues including, changes in councils’ spending and revenues over the last seven years, and issues related to the evolving English business rates retention scheme (BRRS). Today, we publish two spreadsheets with information for individual council areas: a spreadsheet showing changes to councils’ spending on services between 2009–10 and 2016–17; and a spreadsheet showing relative gains and losses from the BRRS since it was introduced in 2013–14.

What if the Welsh Government raises or cuts taxes? Implications for revenues and behaviour