Government Urged To Reverse New Homes Bonus Reductions

The Local Government Association (LGA) wants New Homes Bonus (NHB) reductions reversed to ease the squeeze on cash-strapped councils facing further savings. The LGA is calling on government to reverse unexpected reductions in NHB payments to councils in 2017/18 and find “genuinely new” money to properly fund social care. A provisional Local Government Finance Settlement, published in December, failed to provide any additional new government funding for councils in 2017/18. Instead, the government brought forward already announced council tax raising powers for social care authorities and redistributed £241m in NHB payments through a new Adult Social Care Services Support Grant. Read more on 24housing.