1 September 2025
We’re on our summer pause, so instead of a live session this week we’ve shared the second mid-break slide pack. It’s a chance to catch up on what’s happening across revenues and benefits while we recharge. We’ll be back together on Monday 8 September.
So, what’s inside this week’s pack?
- Housing Benefit under pressure – New claims are still climbing, and Q4 brought a huge seasonal spike in changes. Teams are holding steady, but the workload keeps growing.
- Council debt and asset sales – Local authorities now carry £122bn of debt. To balance the books, many are selling community assets like schools, leisure centres and sports clubs – but at the cost of long-term community value.
- Council tax in the spotlight – The new 100% second home premium has triggered a wave of complaints. Some councils are backtracking with exceptions, but the pressure on customer service teams is real.
- Business rates relief cut – From April 2025, retail, hospitality and leisure bills will more than double. Analysts expect a wave of closures, adding more strain to already fragile high streets.
- Big economic shifts – Inflation ticked up again in July to 3.8%, borrowing came in lower than expected, and concerns over ONS data quality continue to grow. All of this feeds into uncertainty for local budgets.
- Welfare reform twists – HMRC is tightening up pension tax relief claims, child benefit enforcement overseas is ramping up, and the phase-out of the Work Capability Assessment raises big risks for ESA and UC health claimants.
- Housing stress rising – Renting is now less affordable in Bristol and Brighton than in London, and councils still hold over £300m in unspent refugee housing funds.
- Local government reform – Questions over the real cost of reorganisation dominate, with rural and county areas warning they’ll be left to rely almost entirely on council tax. London boroughs are pushing back against new funding formulas that miss the scale of deprivation.
- AI and technology – MIT reports that 95% of corporate GenAI pilots fail, while Derby City Council is testing AI to help with care decisions. Meanwhile, the government has already awarded £573m in AI contracts this year.
- Case law and governance – Blackpool Council became the first to get an “inadequate” adult social care rating, and Amber Valley Borough Council had to call in police after AI-generated fake reports started circulating.
Plenty to reflect on while we take this short break. Thank you as always for being part of the group – your engagement, questions and shared experience are what make it work.
See you back on Monday 8 September for our live lunchtime discussion.
The Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group continues to provide a vital forum for expert analysis, shared learning, and open debate at a time of significant policy flux.
For more information or to join future sessions, contact Malcolm Gardner at Visionary Network. info@visionarynetwork.co.uk
Please note that the handout contains additional slides covering other items of interest in the news and job adverts, which are provided in partnership with Business Smart Solutions (https://www.businesssmartsolutions.co.uk/).