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# Report reveals Staffordshire County Council budget overspend
- URL: https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/report-reveals-staffordshire-county-council-budget-overspend/
- Published: 2024-06-19T05:50:10.000Z
- Updated: 2024-06-19T05:50:21.000Z
- Description: Staffordshire County Council overspent its budget by nearly £4million last year – largely due to high demand for children’s services.
- Author: Phil Corrigan, Local Democracy Reporter
- Tags: Politics, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-07-22 18:53, News

Staffordshire County Council overspent its budget by nearly £4million last year – largely due to high demand for children’s services.

The authority spent a total of £700.4million on its services in 2023-24, which was £3.8million more than it expected.

The largest overspend was within children’s services, which was £9.7million more than expected. Much o this was put down to demand for children in care placements.

At the end of March, the county council was looking after 1,319 youngsters, including 88 unaccompanied asylum seekers.

There was also a £2.3million overspend in education services, which was primarily the result of increasing spending on transport for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

A spokesman for the county council said:

> “Like many authorities we are continuing to see increasing costs both to support the most vulnerable children in our care and in other areas of children’s services.  
>  
> “Despite these recognised pressures, through careful financial management the county council is delivering a balanced budget for this year and is on track to do so for the following five years.”  
>  
> Staffordshire County Council spokesperson

Cabinet members will receive a report detailing the council’s final financial outturn for 2023-24 when they meet today (19th June). They will be asked to approve the financing of the overspend from general balances.

It states that a number of actions are being taken to reduce the expenditure, such as monitoring the thresholds for children entering care, expanding ‘edge of care’ provision and reviewing all existing children in care.

In relation to SEND transport, costs increased “significantly” in 2022-23 due to rocketing inflation, with demand also rising as a result of increased numbers of children with education, health and care plans.

Despite the SEND transport budget being increased last year, the service still ended the year £3million overspent – and the council is now carrying out a review looking at things such as increasing occupancy levels and identifying more efficient routes.