Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick has today (22 October 2020) confirmed allocations for individual councils from the £1 billion of additional support announced by the Prime Minister earlier this month.
Over £900 million of this funding will be provided to councils for their ongoing work to support communities during the pandemic. It brings the total funding given to councils since the start of the pandemic, to help with spending pressures, to £5.7 billion including a £1.1 billion Infection Control Fund.
To address the ongoing challenges local authority leisure centres are facing, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has also confirmed today £100 million will be used to introduce a new fund which will support council leisure centres most in need. Further details on the scheme will be set out shortly.
These funds are part of an unprecedented package of support for councils, which also includes up to £465 million through the new Local Alert Level system, £300 million to support Test and Trace and £30 million for enforcement and compliance. Councils can also claim funding through a compensation scheme for lost income from sales, fees and charges.
Spending pressure funding has been allocated based on levels of population and deprivation, whilst also considering the amount of funding each council has received from the government so far. All councils will receive a minimum of £100,000.
Recognising that councils are best placed to decide how to meet pressures in their local area, this funding has not been ringfenced. The government has asked councils use this funding to prioritise the running of vital services and protecting the most vulnerable and public health.