Plans outlined by the Chancellor to spend more money tackling the rising issue of adult social care have been welcomed by the leader of Staffordshire County Council.
Philip Hammond used his Budget speech to outline an extra £650million, while an additional £20billion has been earmarked for the NHS.
There was also a pledge to offer more cash to tackle the problem of potholes.
Cllr Philip Atkins, leader of Staffordshire County Council, said: “It was also good to see the Chancellor acknowledge the huge financial pressures councils face in funding care with additional funding for 2019/20.
“However, it is clear that the nation still urgently needs a long-term solution to funding the care of a growing ageing population.”
The county council has seen the cost of funding adult social care and supporting children in its care increase by more than £100million in the past ten years – at a time when national funding has continued to fall.
The authority now faces a £35million funding gap in its budget for next year.
A range of measures, including reviewing council-funded lollipop men and women, have been drawn up to help balance the books.
Cllr Atkins added: “As a county council we have already reduced our running costs by £240million in the past nine years, but the rising costs of care means we have had no choice but to look at which non-statutory services we can still continue to fund.
“We are continuing to press for the need to address the long term funding of care and will see how this is addressed through the green paper in the Local Government Financial Settlement later in the year.”
The council will present its final budget plans to Full Council in February 2019.
