To consider the Quarter 3 position for the Revenue Budget for the current financial year.

The Board received a report setting out the latest projected forecast for the Council’s Revenue Budget.  An overspend of £1.5 million was currently expected to be the year-end position.  There were a number of variations to approved budgets across the Council with Children’s – Safeguarding and Wellbeing facing the largest forecast overspend at year-end.

The Board asked questions around the level of reserves available to the Council to offset the overspend at the end of the financial year given that the Comprehensive Spending Review reserve had a number of calls on it.  Questions were also asked about overpayments within Exchequer and Benefits and the trends within Adult Social Care.

Resolved:  (i)  that the Board raises it concern about the possible calls on the General Fund balance of £4.4 million given the high probability that the Comprehensive Spending Review reserve will be depleted through the estimated level of redundancy costs, the current projected overspend at year end and the possible outcome of the ongoing Judicial Review.

(ii)        that additional information be prepared and presented to the Council in its consideration of the Quarter 3 Revenue Budget monitoring report in relation to:

·        The lessons learnt in respect of Housing Benefit overpayments (in particular those made by Council rather than through claimant error);

·        The principles by which the Council determines whether to appoint consultants and the costs associated with consultants currently contracted; and

·         The trends (against projections) within Adult Social Care on the numbers of clients receiving Direct Payments and the numbers of clients within residential care.