Care costs force £15m overspend by Wakefield Council

The rising cost of caring for vulnerable people saw the council overspend by around £15m in the last financial year.

Cash-strapped Wakefield Council will have to make more cuts to its budget this year than first expected after struggling to balance the books in 2016-17.

The overspend happened after the council was hit with millions of pounds of extra costs for looking after elderly people and placing vulnerable children in safe accommodation.

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Michael Clements, assistant chief executive for resources and governance, said: “We are still finalising the 2016/17 position but expect that it will be in the order of a £15m overspend.”

The council had a target to slash £27m from its budget last year, and managed to make £24.5m of the required cuts.

But it also faced £16m of extra costs for social care and children’s safeguarding.

Wakefield is among local authorities around the country being hammered with government budget cuts.

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Mr Clements said more savings were being found at Wakefield Council.

He added: “The overall position has been slightly offset by a combination of tightening of controls on spend and identification of other mitigating savings across the council.

“There are plans to balance this position by using reserves and other one-off balances.

“To balance the budget for 2017-18 the council has agreed £11.5m of additional savings, over and above the £15.5m of savings required as a result of the continued cuts in government funding.”