‘Reform RTB to get new homes built’
Desperately needed new social homes could go unbuilt unless the time that councils are given to spend money from Right to Buy sales is extended from three to five years, the LGA has warned.
news
Call for £1bn youth work guarantee
Employment experts have called for a £1 billion ‘youth guarantee’, and urgent investment in education and back-to-work support, as unemployment figures rocket following the coronavirus crisis.
Support for homeless
As first was going to press, councils were being asked by government to urgently support rough sleepers and vulnerable homeless people into accommodation – even as many councils were continuing to experience issues with placing homeless households in hotels and B&Bs.
SEND guidance issued after school closures
Children’s Minister Vicky Ford has written to councils and other partners, setting out the Government’s plans to ensure support can continue to be provided to children and young people with SEND following the closure of the UK’s schools.
£1.6bn care boost to free hospital beds
Patients who no longer need urgent hospital treatment will be helped to return home, making at least 30,000 beds available during the coronavirus outbreak, after councils received £1.6 billion in extra funding.
Budget unveiled
An extra £30 billion of public spending was announced in last month’s Budget – much of it aimed at local priorities including homes, roads, digital connectivity, flood resilience and devolution.
Roadmap out of lockdown
The Government has published its 60-page recovery plan, setting out how and when the UK will adjust its response to the coronavirus crisis.
Right to Buy discounts near £5bn
Tenants have received discounts of nearly £5 billion to help purchase their council homes under the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme since the size of the discount was increased in April 2012, according to new LGA analysis.
More funding for councils
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.
Shielding the most vulnerable
The Government has issued guidance for local authorities and local resilience forums on the system to support those who are medically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus.