'Difficult decisions' over adult social care - council

Reform UK-run Kent County Council says it faces "unprecedented pressures" on its adult social care budget

Kent County Council (KCC) has warned it faces "unprecedented pressures" on its adult social care services and is urging the government to provide more support in next month's funding settlement.

A new financial report shows the council's adult social care budget is forecast to overspend by just over 7%, with overall council spending running about 3% - £46.5m - above its total budget.

Council leader Linden Kemkaran said the figures highlighted the scale of the challenge and warned that "difficult decisions" would be made.

Kent Conservative councillor Sarah Hudson said Reform showed a "lack of experience and financial knowledge in how local government works".

"When we were elected in May it became apparent how challenged the adult social care budget was," said Kemkaran.

"Under the previous Conservative administration, this department clearly overspent massively.

"To remedy the situation we will need to make necessary but difficult decisions, and we will require some additional input from central government."

KCC leader Linden Kemkaran says "additional input" is needed from central government

KCC said it was bringing in tighter spending controls and targeted savings to reduce costs, but was calling on ministers to recognise the extra pressures faced by councils like Kent, including higher staff and provider costs.

It wants next month's local government finance settlement to include funding for increased national insurance contributions paid by care providers this year, and for the government's Fair Funding 2.0 review to reflect Kent's particular demographic pressures.

The council also wants the government's independent review of adult social care, due to report in 2028, to be brought forward to help local authorities plan future budgets.

KCC said it was not seeking Exceptional Financial Support and expected to set a balanced budget within the 5% council tax limit next year.

Sir Keir Starmer accused Reform of "staggering incompetence" while running KCC

Meanwhile Sir Keir Starmer criticised the Reform-UK led Kent County Council in the Commons during Prime Minister's Questions, following a month where nine councillors were either suspended or expelled from the party.

He answered a question from the Ashford Labour MP Sojan Joseph, which included concern over the county's fire authority, whose chair and vice chair were both amongst those suspended.

In response, Starmer said his "sympathy was with the people of Kent, whose lives are being disrupted by the staggering incompetence of Reform".

The party's deputy leader, Richard Tice, rubbished claims of incompetence as "absolute nonsense".

"The prime minister misled the House of Commons when he said that we were disrupting the lives of people in Kent...far from it, he's the one that's disrupting the lives of tens of millions of British citizens across the country."

It has since been announced that Reform has replaced both the chair and vice chair of the county's fire authority with Thomas Mallon and Terry Mole respectively.