The (local) state we're in

PwC survey on local government's financial challenge

PwC survey on how UK councils have coped with funding cuts, the savings they have made, and the impact on the communities they serve.

One year on from the Spending Review, the front-loaded cuts that have hit local government made it very difficult for councils to plan ahead. But authorities should be commended for the handling of their financial challenge. Over 90% have achieved their planned savings in the last year, and on the whole, councils believe that they’ve achieved this without adverse impact on local communities.

Councils without solutions for more than half of their funding gap to 2015

40%

Councils who say changing the back office will still definitely contribute to savings in future

77%

The public who accept the need to stop, close or reduce council services and facilities

47%

Councils who say they will find savings from adult social care over the next two years

95%


 

But tougher times are on the horizon, and the general feeling is that there is limited scope to deliver further significant savings. Improvements in back office and to service delivery processes are still expected to contribute most to savings over the next two years, despite the significant savings already realised in the last 12 months. Councils are already doing things differently ; now could be the time to start doing different things to deliver the government’s public service reform agenda.