Council vows to protect care for elderly residents
Telford & Wrekin Council is prioritising support for vulnerable people, particularly the elderly, as it grapples with a significant challenge to its budget due to soaring adult social care costs.
The Council’s Cabinet will next week review a financial monitoring report that outlines in-year pressures, the largest of which is in adult social care. This service, which was allocated £77 million at the start of the financial year, is now forecast to require an additional £14 million by the end of March 2026.
Funding gap reflects national crisis
The financial pressure reflects a national social care funding crisis, according to the Council. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) stated that 80% of authorities overspent on adult social care budgets in 2024-25, the highest overspend for the sector in over a decade.
Councillor Kelly Middleton, cabinet member responsible for adult social care, stressed the human element of the issue. “Our role as a Council is to care for our community… we are talking about somebody’s mother, father or grandparents and they all deserve the right care and most appropriate care to meet their needs,” she said.
The Council maintains it will not compromise on the level of care for its elderly residents and the most vulnerable in the community.
Strong financial record to cushion impact
Despite the funding challenge, the Council is confident in managing the extra cost due to its strong track record of financial management.
Councillor Zona Hannington, cabinet member for finance, governance and customer services, confirmed the Council is forecasting that the extra £14 million will be met by utilising contingency budgets and finding further in-year efficiencies.
“Due to our strong record of financial management over so many years, we will utilise contingency budgets and seek further in-year efficiencies to meet this cost with a view to delivering a balanced budget at year-end which is something we have achieved for the last 16 years,” Councillor Hannington stated.
She also pointed out the extensive savings already made by the local authority, including delivering £181.7 million of savings over the last 16 years. This included successfully saving more than £6 million on adult social care budgets last year.
Council leaders have pledged to use their position as 2025 LGC Council of the Year to be a leading voice nationally, continuing conversations with the Government regarding revised funding formulas to tackle the issue impacting councils across the country.
