Staffordshire's Leader responds to Chancellor's Autumn Statement

Staffordshire County Council leader Alan White says a long-term solution to funding adult social care remains the biggest issue for the authority.

Reacting to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, Alan White, Leader of Staffordshire County Council, said:

We remain a stable, well-run authority with a focus on growing Staffordshire’s economy through investment in education and training and creating the physical and digital infrastructure which allows businesses to prosper.

We will have to study the detail of today’s announcement carefully to understand how it affects us and our budget planning for 2023/24 and beyond.

The effects of inflation and the rise in energy prices are also adding to our daily costs and still, each year, we spend approximately two-thirds of our budget on caring for vulnerable children and the needs of increasing numbers of elderly people.

Following today’s announcement on social care and its interim funding for two years, the biggest single issue facing this authority – and many others across the country – remains the need for a sustainable long-term national solution for funding adult social care.”

And responding to the announcement that the Household Support Fund would be extended, Alan White said:

This money has previously been used to good effect in Staffordshire helping young families and older people alike and I’m pleased to see that support will continue for another 12 months.”