- This funding boost is part of the £1.1 billion of extra support that the North West has received.
- The Conservative Government has given councils in England over £7 billion in additional support through the pandemic, with £3 billion more confirmed for next year.
Dr Neil Hudson MP for Penrith and The Border has welcomed new analysis showing that local authorities across Cumbria have so far received an extra £66 million to support vital local services during the Covid-19 pandemic, with further funding confirmed for next year.
Over half of this funding has not been ringfenced, meaning local leaders can decide how to use the additional funds and which local services to boost investment to. This could include counselling services, delivering essential supplies to vulnerable families, and ensuring cherished green spaces are well maintained and Covid-secure.
Local authorities have also received over £2 billion in further grant funding since March last year to deliver specific schemes, such as providing emergency support for rough sleepers, preventing children going hungry, setting up local test and trace services and measures to make care homes, high streets and town centres Covid-secure.
In total, the Government has provided local authorities across England with more than £7 billion in additional support and introduced a range of measures to help council’s manage pressures on their finances created by the pandemic, worth billions more. A further £3 billion will be allocated to councils from April onwards.
Commenting Dr Neil Hudson MP said:
“Councils across Cumbria have done an incredible job on the frontline during this pandemic - providing local services and keeping people safe under the most difficult of circumstances, but we recognise the financial pressures they have faced. I want to pay tribute to the dedicated work of all our councils whose staff have worked tirelessly to support local residents throughout this crisis.”
“I am really pleased that the Government has supported council leaders across Cumbria with an extra £66 million since March last year, helping to protect vital services and ensure our councils have the resources they need to support our community.
Commenting, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said:
“From the start of the pandemic, we committed to ensuring that councils had the resources they needed to step up and support their communities.
“That commitment remains undimmed, which is why we have provided councils with more than £7 billion of additional funding for Covid-19 expenditure, and will continue to ensure they have the resources they need to provide vital local services and held their communities build back better from the pandemic.”
