By Mary Temperton, Leader of Bracknell Forest Council

Last week we were given an update on the new Government’s budget. It included £1.3bn of new grant funding in 2025/26 for local government to provide core services, of which £600m is for social care.

The Government also announced some of the following grants for specific services:

  • £1bn to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) in England and Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales in 2025-2026. This builds on the previous investment of £500m to extend the HSF in England to 31 March 2025. This is very good news as it will enable us to continue to support our most vulnerable households facing the increased costs of food, energy and essentials.

  • A £1bn uplift for special educational needs and disability (SEND) and alternative provision funding, the second biggest ever year-on-year increase. This is an important step in realising the Government's vision to transform England's SEND system to improve outcomes and return local authorities to financial sustainability. The debts being accrued to fund SEND provision is putting most councils in financial jeopardy, including Bracknell Forest.

  • £640m in bus service improvement plan funding to support initiatives to improve local bus services.

  • £500m of new funding for local road maintenance.

  • £500m boost to the affordable homes programme, to build up to 5,000 additional affordable homes, showing a commitment to reducing the decline in social and affordable housing.

  • £233m in additional resource funding for homelessness pressures, taking total homelessness spending to nearly £1bn in 2025-26. This funding should help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help the sector in preventing rough sleeping.

Obviously at this stage we do not know how much Bracknell Forest Council will actually receive. As we get more details, we’ll be able to make more informed decisions on how these grants impact our own services locally.

Rest assured, although difficult decisions will still have to be made, we will do everything in our power to ensure residents get good value for money.