Recommendation 25

The scale of subsidy loss varies between local authorities and some local authorities experience a high subsidy loss. The amount of subsidy loss is increasing overall with local authorities in England experiencing a subsidy loss of £108 million (in cash terms) in 2021–22 compared with £53.8 million in 2017–18.49 The LGA told us that subsidy loss is a “further budget pressure on already stretched council budgets”.50 41 Q 46 42 Committee of Public Accounts, Tackling fraud and corruption against government, 69th Report of Session 2022–23, HC 1230, 8 September 2023; Committee of Public Accounts, Local authority administered COVID support schemes in England, 68th Report of Session 2022–23, HC 1234, 6 month 2023 43 Written evidence submitted to committee – DSH0007 44 Qq 44, 45 45 Q 30 46 Qq 46, 47 47 Q 47 48 C&AG’s Report, para 2.17 49 C&AG’s Report, para 2.18 50 DSH0007 14 Supported housing