Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of a potential reduction in local authority budgets on levels of poverty in each local authority area.

The provisional Local Government Finance Settlement published on 16 December 2021 for 2022/23 makes available an additional £3.5 billion to councils in England, including funding for adult social care reform. This is an increase in local authority funding for 2022/23 of over 4% in real terms, which will ensure councils across the country have the resources they need to deliver key services. In total, we expect Core Spending Power to rise from £50.4 billion in 2021/22 to up to £53.9 billion this year.

Most of the funding made available through the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced, acknowledging that local authorities are best placed to understand local priorities, such as tackling deprivation and levels of poverty within local communities.

This is not the only source of funding available to councils with regards to supporting vulnerable families. For example, recognising that some people may require extra support over this winter, vulnerable households across the country can also access a £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund provides £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials, which can include beds.