Deputy Leader Responds to Government’s Fair Funding Settlement

The government has announced its local government funding settlement, following the Fair Funding Review of how council funding is distributed. The settlement introduces an updated funding formula intended to better reflect councils’ relative needs, costs and service pressures. 

The settlement marks a welcome shift away from short-term funding arrangements and provides councils with greater stability through a multi-year framework. It also restores a stronger emphasis on deprivation and need, which is particularly important for councils like Brent that face sustained financial pressures across social care, housing and homelessness services. 

Against this backdrop, the settlement includes a welcome 9.9% increase in core funding for Brent next year, one of the highest increases in London.

We will now work through the detail of the settlement carefully to understand its full implications for Brent’s budget and medium-term financial strategy. Our focus will be on making every pound count, protecting frontline services by driving efficiencies behind the scenes, and using public money responsibly to support residents who need us most. 

Councillor Mili Patel, Deputy Leader of Brent Council, said: “Brent was one of many communities that were disadvantaged when funding moved away from a focus on deprivation and need and was instead driven largely by population alone.

"I am pleased that this settlement reverses that approach and puts the principle of fairness back at the heart of local government funding.

"We will use this funding responsibly and sensibly to begin addressing the shortfalls in our budgets, particularly in the social care we provide for older people, disabled residents and children in care. These vital but often unseen services account for around two thirds of what the council spends, and they have borne the greatest pressure in recent years.”