Analysis of local authority data, provided by Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and local authorities’ medium-term budgets, by public services union Unison predicts cuts as high as £2.9bn in 2022/23.
Hampshire County Council is among local authorities with large deficits as it faces making more than £65.9m savings next year while Cheshire West and Chester Council has an almost £26m financial black hole.
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Hackney Council faces an £11m deficit despite 48 per cent of the London borough’s children already living in poverty.
ADCS vice-president Steve Crocker said: “Councils have worked hard to manage demand and protect the most vulnerable, but they have been left with no other option but to perversely cut the very services that enable us to intervene early before crisis hits.
“This is a false economy and is storing up huge financial and human costs for the future. Now more than ever we need to work with children and families who are at risk of poor outcomes at the earliest possible stage, but only with adequate long-term national investment can we continue to provide this vital support.”
He called for “proper, sustainable, and equitable funding from central government”.
“If we don’t get the funding we need, councils will have to make difficult choices about the future of valued local services and exhaust their reserves when we should be focussing efforts on the continued effect of the pandemic and helping children, families and communities recover,” he added.
Unison also warned of the impact of cuts to public services including schools and libraries on disadvantaged families as well as loss of budgets for children’s social care.
The union’s general secretary Christina McAnea said: “These council-funding shortfalls will result in cuts that are likely to hit the poorest in society hardest.
“Children struggling in class won’t be able to get the extra help they need to succeed. Families of the elderly and people needing support will be denied the services on which so many of them rely. Access to much-loved parks, libraries and community facilities are at risk of being taken away.”
Unison has created a digital map highlighting budget cuts for each local authority area.
