West Sussex County Council 2024/25 budget overspend is revealed

After emptying the Contingency Budget of £23.3m, the gap will close to £7.2m – £4.4m higher than was forecast earlier in the financial year.

During a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday (March 11), Jeremy Hunt, cabinet member for finance, said 2024/25 ‘continues to be financially challenging’.

He added: “As with many of our colleagues across the country, it is the ever-increasing cost of social care that is providing the biggest challenge.

“However much work both our adults and children’s services do in trying to meet the ever-growing pressures, we’re struggling to keep the costs under control in te face of ever-growing demand.”

The budget for adults services looks set to be overspent by £19.2m by the end of this month, with children’s services overspent by £11.33m.

The situation has not been helped by the need to find more money to cover the nationally agreed pay award for NJC staff.

The cabinet agreed that £2.012m would be taken from the Contingency Budget and added to the Service Portfolio Budgets to meet the cost of the £1,290 pay award.

Mr Hunt warned that the increase in employer National Insurance contributions and the National Living Wage – both of which are due to be implemented in April – would only add to the pressures in 2025/26.