BBC News
Published
image copyrightAlamy
UK councils face a £3bn black hole in their budgets as they emerge from the pandemic, a BBC investigation into their finances can reveal.
Some local authorities were struggling to carry out statutory duties and were at risk of bankruptcy, a local government expert said.
And 10 councils have asked to borrow £300m of emergency money from the government to plug financial holes.
The government says it has handed councils £12bn during the pandemic.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said: In the coming months, we will take stock of the demands faced by councils and the resources available to meet them and will decide on the timetable for future funding reform.
Councils face â£3 billion budget deficitâ as nation emerges from pandemic
UK local authorities plan to make at least £1.7 billion worth of savings in the 2021-22 financial year, the BBC reported
Council tax bill (Image: PA Images)
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BBC News
By Alex Homer
image copyrightFamily handout
image captionPhilippa Day (pictured left with her sister Imogen) took a fatal overdose and died in October 2019
The family of a woman who took a fatal overdose after her benefit payments were cut say they have begun a legal claim against the government.
Philippa Day, 27, was found collapsed at her Nottingham home beside a letter rejecting her request for an at-home benefits assessment in August 2019.
It comes amid calls for a wider inquiry into the Department for Work & Pensions handling of cases.
The DWP said: When, sadly, there is a tragic case we take it very seriously.
Coronavirus: Prisoners children forgotten during pandemic bbc.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bbc.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Tourism hotspots hit hard by Covid-19 jobs crisis
Published
image copyrightReuters
Parts of the UK reliant on tourism have been most affected by the Covid-19 jobs crisis, analysis suggests.
In some areas, around three out of five people who began claiming universal credit at the outset of the pandemic were still doing so six months later.
Experts said areas with seasonal employment were more likely to see furloughed workers, those in low-wage jobs or on zero-hours contracts.
The government said it was boosting welfare support by billions to help.
Analysing official data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the BBC Shared Data Unit found: