Craig welcomes extra £1.4m for local council services in Thanet

Craig Mackinlay MP has welcomed news that Thanet will receive an additional £1,416,312 to make sure the District Council can continue to support the community and deliver vital services through this challenging time.

This means that since the pandemic started, Thanet District Council will have received an extra £1,505,319, an extra 8% over its 2020/21 forecast revenue budget – an unprecedented level of extra financial  support in recent times.

The additional support will mean councils can continue to provide essential services, such as adult social care and children’s services, while also providing support to people impacted by the coronavirus. This includes protecting rough sleepers, with 90 per cent of rough sleepers offered safe accommodation so far, establishing shielding programmes for clinically extremely vulnerable people and ensuring there is additional support available across a range of other vital council services.

This announcement builds on other government measures, including allowing councils to defer the payment of business rates to central government and providing them with a combined £850 million in up front social care grants, that will help with their cash flows so they can continue to deliver vital services.

Craig Mackinlay MP, said:

“I’m really pleased that Thanet will receive an additional £1.4m from the Government to help ensure essential services are not impacted by the extra demands placed on councils by coronavirus.

“This is part of the additional £3.2b the Government is providing to councils across England to ensure they have the resources they need during this difficult time.

“Our local authorities are working hard under extraordinary circumstances, helping to ensure the vulnerable are protected and supported.

“I will continue to assist them and work closely with ministers to ensure they always have the resources they need to carry out their important work.”

Communities and Local Government Secretary, Robert Jenrick MP, added:

“Councils are playing a central role in our national fight against coronavirus and the Government continues to back them at this challenging time.

“That’s why I announced an extra £3.2 billion of support for councils to help them to continue their extraordinary efforts.

“Today I’m setting out how the latest £1.6 billion of this will be allocated to councils in the fairest way possible, recognising the latest and best assessment of the pressures they face.

“We are backing local district councils and a clear majority will receive at least £1m in additional funding.”