Councils in England will receive a further £1.6 billion for their response to the coronavirus, taking total funding from government for the pandemic to more than £3.2 billion.
The announcement will also mean another £95 million for Welsh councils. Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick MP has pledged to provide the resources local government needs and has written to all councils praising the sector’s ‘unsung heroes’.
His announcement of additional funding came after the LGA warned that coronavirus-led demand pressures and a loss of income risked combining to push councils towards financial failure.
Cllr James Jamieson, LGA Chairman, said: “Councils across the country are leading efforts to support communities through the unprecedented coronavirus crisis we face. They continue to do an amazing job.
“We are pleased the Government continues to recognise the huge efforts councils and our staff are making and has responded quickly to our deep concerns about the financial strains being placed on them by providing more desperately needed new funding.
“Alongside previous money and measures, this will give councils breathing space.
“It is also reassuring that the Secretary of State has reiterated his promise that councils will get all the resources they will need to cope with this pandemic. This commitment needs to be rock solid and consistent so councils can stay focused on leading the local response to the greatest challenge we have faced as a nation for decades.
“The pressures facing councils are significant, wide-ranging and vary from place to place and this funding will need to reach all councils. It is good that councils will be able to decide locally how best to spend it on the specific pressures they face in their local area.”
