Five payments providers have been fined a combined £33m for "illegal cartel behaviour" that reduced choice for councils buying pre-paid cards used to distribute welfare payments to the...
Collectively, councils were over-compensated by central government for the financial impact of Covid-19. But the withdrawal of support means tougher times lie ahead, says David Phillips from the...
The Scottish government must rethink last month's local government settlement or risk disastrous consequences for communities, say COSLA's Alison Evison and Gail Macgregor.
A London council incorrectly interpreted government guidance on fraudulent claims, preventing two businesses from receiving Covid-19 support grants, according to the Local Government Social Care...
Extra cash will help councils revive their town centres, but targeting it effectively – not least on improving the built environment – is crucial for sustained success, says Nigel Wilcock.
Falkirk Council has so far been unable to make “difficult decisions” it needs to in order to make the savings required for financial sustainability, according to a watchdog’s heavily critical report.
A county’s decision to give a former chief executive a £95,000 exit payment failed to follow internal policies and procedures and was unlawful, according to Audit Wales.
A West Midlands borough council failed to follow its own procedures when awarding SEND transport contracts and will likely need to restart the procurement process to avoid possible legal challenge.
English council’s finances were not as badly affected by Covid-19 as had been expected, according to new research – but the authors warned against government complacency in the coming years amid the...
A Nottinghamshire council is considering whether to reverse a proposed council tax increase of 1.99% in its next budget following a larger-than-expected grant from central government.
English councils which have distributed highest amounts to businesses through the Covid-19 Additional Restrictions Grant scheme will get the largest allocations from a £100m top-up ...
Local authorities in England are set to receive £45m over the next three years, alongside extended accounts deadlines, to help improve the timeliness of local audit.
The allocation of the local government settlement, steering more funding to deprived councils, is a signal of the government’s intentions on 'levelling up', according to experts.
Local authorities are set to receive a share of a one-off £822m services grant in 2022-23, to help meet service demands, as part of a single-year provisional local government settlement announced on...
Up to 80% of private finance initiatives contracts set to expire by 2028 are not covered by a solid plan for the return to the public sector, according to government’s infrastructure body.
2021 has been another testing year for public finance professionals. But how well can you remember the events of the past 12 months? Take our annual Christmas festive quiz to find out.
Bolton Council has revealed that its application for £16m from the Levelling up Fund – which was not granted by Whitehall – was submitted late due to the documents being too...
External auditors have issued a number of statutory recommendations to Sandwell Council, following what it said was a breakdown of relations between senior officers and members and a lack...
English councils' net spending on highways and transport more than doubled last year, due to a reduction in income caused by Covid-19, according to outturn figures.
Copeland Borough Council is at risk of issuing a section 114 notice unless it receives further exceptional support, according to a government-commissioned review.
