Liverpool City Council budget to deliver investment in frontline services to residents

Liverpool City Council is set to invest an additional £15.3 million in the delivery of frontline services to improve services for residents over the coming year.

The Council’s ‘core spending power’ – the Government’s measure of how much local authorities have to spend – has increased by 10.3 per cent in cash terms as a result of Government funding and a proposed Council Tax increase of 4.99 per cent. 

The Council is to benefit from a £20 million Government ‘recovery grant’ to help areas with greater deprivation and need.

The budget includes an extra £1.5 million for neighbourhood services to help tackle issues such as flytipping, street cleansing and blight.

The aim is to build on improvements which have seen a 25 per cent drop in complaints about street cleansing and weeding over the last year.

Changes have included regular maintenance, litter picking and cleansing at 58 new locations, including central reservations, roundabouts and traffic islands; additional litter picks in areas including Kirkdale, Anfield, Picton and Dingle; and monthly cleansing of 850 communal bin stations. 

There is also £500k for the School Streets programme to improve road safety around primary schools.

An additional £52 million is being set aside to deal with increased demand for adult and children’s social care, temporary housing and home to school transport. The Council has a legal duty to provide adult and children’s services, and they account for 63 per cent of spending. 

The Council’s financial resilience has been boosted thanks to an improvement programme which has increased the cash total of Council Tax collected in-year by 13 per cent, reduced arrears by £18 million and cut Business Rates debt by £5.3 million. 

In addition, a review of single person Council Tax discount has increased the amount of Council Tax that can be collected by £1.8 million, and changes to empty property premiums is bringing in an additional £8 million per year.

We have also reduced the time taken for an invoice to be paid from 51 to 38 days, cut the amount of debt owed to the Council by £10.7 million in the last quarter, and rolled out electronic invoicing to save on postage.

The Benefit Maximisation Team has increased income for the most vulnerable households by £7,643,529 – up £433,583 compared to January 2024, and in this budget its staffing will be increased by 50 per cent. 

At the Budget Council meeting on Wednesday 5 March, Councillors will be asked to approve a rise of 4.99 per cent in Council Tax, including two per cent ringfenced for adult social care. 

The majority of households in Liverpool – 59 per cent – live in Band A properties, and will see the charge for the council services element bill rise by £84.04 per year. 

Deputy Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Transformation, Councillor Ruth Bennett, said:

“We are continuing to make great strides in improving our own financial management to drive up income and make the most of every pound. This is helping manage the demand pressures we face in areas such as social care.

“This rigorous approach is increasing Council Tax collection levels, reducing outstanding Business Rates and cutting the amount of outstanding debt we are owed.

“We are determined to become a financially resilient organisation which provides services that are sustainable in the long-term.”