Change of https://www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptional-financial-support-for-local-authorities-for-2023-24

Change description : 2026-02-23 15:02:00: Adds new figures and capitalisation directions [Guidance and regulation]

Showing diff : 2025-03-13 17:22:57.706305197 +00:00..2026-02-23 15:02:36.547750476 +00:00

Guidance

Exceptional Financial Support for local authorities for 2023-24

Details of support granted to local authorities that have requested Exceptional Financial Support in financial year 2023-24 and the associated external assurance reviews.

From:
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Published
29 February 2024
Last updated
1323 MarchFebruary 20252026 — See all updates

Applies to England

In the financial year 2023-24 the previous government agreed to provide 8 councils with support to manage financial pressures via the Exceptional Financial Support process. For 2 councils this included agreement to support for prior years.

Local authority Exceptional Financial Support requests from local authorities: 2023-24
Croydon £63.0m (support agreed in-principle)

This was subsequently revised to:
£50.0m (support agreed in-principle for 2023-24)

£161.6m£126m agreedfor in-principle covering:2019-20
2019-20:£10m £126.0m
2020-21:for £10.0m2020-21
2021-22: £14.4m
2022-23: for 2021-22
£11.2m agreed in-principle for 2022-23
Cumberland £40.0m (support agreed in-principle)
Kensington and Chelsea £51.8m
Lambeth £50.0m (covering 2023-24 to 2024-25)
Slough £31.6m (support agreed in-principle)£46.325m
Thurrock £180.17m (support agreed in-principle)
£452.491m agreed in-principle for 2022-23

This was reprofiled to:

£40.0m agreed in-principle for 2022-23 (February 2024), then subsequently reprofiled to £130.0m£130m agreed in-principle for 2022-23 (February 2025)

£234.5m agreed in-principle for 2023-24 (February 2024), then subsequently reprofiled to £184.0m agreed in-principle for 2023-24 (February 2025)
Westmorland and Furness £11.0m
West Northamptonshire £6.6m (support agreed in-principle)in-principle for 2023-24, then subsequently reprofiled to £6.52m for 2024-25

Capitalisation directions

Kensington and Chelsea Council capitalisation direction 2023-24 (PDF, 217 KB, 2 pages)

This capitalisation direction was amended in December 2024:

Kensington and Chelsea Council capitalisation direction 2023-24 (PDF, 106 KB, 2 pages)

Lambeth Council capitalisation direction 2023-24 (PDF, 256 KB, 2 pages)

This capitalisation direction was amended in February 2025:

Lambeth Council capitalisation direction 2023-24 and 2024-25 (PDF, 296 KB, 2 pages)

Westmorland & Furness capitalisation direction 2023-24 (PDF, 171 KB, 2 pages)

Croydon capitalisation direction 2020-21 and 2021-22 (PDF, 198 KB, 2 pages)

Croydon capitalisation direction 2019-20 (PDF, 261 KB, 2 pages)

Slough capitalisation direction 2023-24 (PDF, 176 KB, 2 pages)

Assurance reviews

CIPFA local government finance review: Lambeth Council

CIPFA local government finance review: Cumberland

CIPFA local government finance review: Westmorland & Furness

Interventions in local authorities

Statutory intervention: London Borough of Croydon

Statutory intervention: Slough Borough Council

Statutory intervention: Thurrock Council

Updates to this page

Published 29 February 2024

Last updated 1323 MarchFebruary 20252026 + show href="#full-history">+ show all updates

    3. Added external assurance reviews for Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness. Added Westmorland & Furness 2023-24 direction and Croydon direction 2019-20.

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Contents

Update history

2026-02-23 15:02
Adds new figures and capitalisation directions

2025-03-13 17:22
Added external assurance reviews for Cumberland and Westmorland & Furness. Added Westmorland & Furness 2023-24 direction and Croydon direction 2019-20.

2024-05-16 10:11
Added Lambeth Council capitalisation direction and assurance review.

2024-02-29 14:09
First published.