Annex B - methodology for calculating local authority notional funding allocations for adult social care and associated figures
Updated 21 January 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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How we have calculated local authority notional allocations
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) provisional local government finance settlement for England: 2026 to 2029 sets out the breakdown of local government funding available for adult social care. This publication sets out how we have calculated individual local authority notional allocations.
While these will not be formal spend expectations, notional allocations provide an illustration of the change in adult social care spending in each local authority, assuming adult social care spend reflected wider changes in overall available funding.
Broadly, we have calculated each local authority’s notional allocation by:
- using their reported current spending on adult social care as the starting position
- illustrating how spending on adult social care might be expected to change by 2028 to 2029, should adult social care spend grow in line with wider changes to local authorities’ core spending power (CSP)
Local authority notional allocations only include local government funding available for adult social care. While the NHS minimum contribution to adult social care through the Better Care Fund (BCF) will also support delivery of adult social care services and is part of around £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028 to 2029 (compared with 2025 to 2026), it is not included as part of each local authority’s notional allocation for adult social care. This is because this funding is distributed by integrated care boards or health and wellbeing boards and will not necessarily be spent by local authorities.
Given that notional allocations will not be ring-fences but instead a tool to inform local authority decision-making, the methodology for calculating the growth in notional allocations has been kept deliberately straightforward. Adult social care shares of CSP for upper-tier local authorities reflect national averages rather than the varied structural characteristics of local authorities.
We recognise that adult social care expenditure at a local authority level will be influenced by many local factors and may differ from these notional allocations.
Methodology and associated figures
Step 1: local expenditure baseline for each local authority
Our intention is for notional allocations to reflect local authorities’ current expenditure on adult social care as far as possible. Ideally, we would have used outturn expenditure for 2025 to 2026 as the baseline. In the absence of local authority revenue expenditure and financing data to indicate total adult social care spending in 2025 to 2026, we have estimated baseline spending using available data for local authority budgeted spend on adult social care in 2025 to 2026. Where 2025 to 2026 data is unavailable, we have used available data for local authority outturn expenditure on adult social care in 2024 to 2025.
Local authorities with missing data for 2025 to 2026 and 2024 to 2025 have not had notional allocations calculated.
We recognise that using budgeted spend is an imperfect estimate of eventual outturn spending. We will therefore update the baseline for all local authorities’ notional allocations with 2025 to 2026 revenue outturn data (which details local authorities’ actual spend on adult social care and other services) once it becomes available in autumn 2026.
Step 2: calculate additional funding available for adult social care through increases in overall CSP
For each local authority, we have calculated the change in its CSP above the 2025 to 2026 baseline using the CSP figures set out at the provisional local government finance settlement. We have excluded:
- the Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant
- Families First Partnership Programme funding
- transition funding
- £900 million of Revenue Support Grant funding distributed using the adult social care relative needs formula
The adult social care share of CSP for upper-tier local authorities at a national level has been applied to this change in CSP for each upper-tier local authority. This produces the change in the funding available for adult social care from overall changes in CSP.
This adult social care share of CSP for upper-tier local authorities at a national level has been reached by taking the adult social care control total for local government as a whole (37.24% of total CSP) and applying it to CSP for upper-tier local authorities only in each year.
Note that the adult social care control total reflects the adult social care share of CSP for all of local government and so includes authorities without adult social care responsibilities.
Step 3: add profile for £900 million of Revenue Support Grant funding distributed through the adult social care needs formula and share of transition funding to each local authority’s figure
To reach the overall notional allocation for each local authority, we have added the following to each local authority’s 2025 to 2026 expenditure baseline:
- £900 million of Revenue Support Grant funding distributed using the adult social care relative needs formula across the multi-year settlement
- transition funding available for adult social care as defined by MHCLG’s explanatory note on the additional funding available for adult social care
- the general increase in CSP for each local authority, as set out in step 2 above
Step 4: apply 6.3% minimum increase for some local authorities
While the vast majority of local authorities will see increases in their notional allocations by 2028 to 2029, there are some local authorities whose CSP will grow by less than inflation over the multi-year settlement.
Local authorities’ adult social care expenditure over the multi-year settlement will need to change to reflect changes in adult social care costs and demand. It is likely that, as a minimum, expenditure will need to increase in real terms.
Where a local authority’s CSP is growing by less than inflation over the multi-year settlement, its notional allocation has been set to grow in line with inflation (inflation is expected to be 6.3% between 2026 to 2027 and 2028 to 2029).
We have used this methodology to calculate annual notional allocations for each local authority, covering the 3-year period starting in 2026 to 2027 and ending in 2028 to 2029.
Notional allocations will not be ringfences. We recognise that a number of local factors will influence local authority budget setting and will work with councils to understand their decision making. The measure of CSP used in the calculation of notional allocations is un-ringfenced (other than the minimum NHS contribution to adult social care through the Better Care Fund and local authority contributions through the Local Authority Better Care Grant). It is for councils to decide how best to use un-ringfenced income to fund local services.
The table shows the adult social care notional allocations for each local authority. The figures shown in the table indicate cash prices in £million.
| Local authority | 2025 to 2026 budgeted spend on adult social care (£million) | 2026 to 2027 notional allocations (£million) | 2027 to 2028 notional allocations (£million) | 2028 to 2029 notional allocations (£million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barking and Dagenham | 81.3 | 93.3 | 104.6 | 116.5 |
| Barnet | 202.5 | 214.2 | 225.3 | 237.5 |
| Barnsley | 127.3 | 133.8 | 139.4 | 145.6 |
| Bath and North East Somerset | 82.8 | 85.0 | 86.9 | 89.3 |
| Bedford | 89.4 | 93.3 | 97.0 | 101.2 |
| Bexley | 89.3 | 93.4 | 97.0 | 101.2 |
| Birmingham | 569.7 | 642.6 | 710.7 | 781.2 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 85.5 | 89.9 | 93.7 | 97.8 |
| Blackpool | 83.0 | 87.3 | 89.9 | 93.3 |
| Bolton | 138.2 | 148.4 | 157.6 | 167.4 |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 194.6 | 203.2 | 211.2 | 220.5 |
| Bracknell Forest | 54.2 | 55.4 | 56.5 | 57.6 |
| Bradford | 217.4 | 246.0 | 272.8 | 300.9 |
| Brent | 140.1 | 156.1 | 170.9 | 186.8 |
| Brighton and Hove | 155.9 | 159.3 | 162.5 | 165.6 |
| Bristol, City of | 244.8 | 261.9 | 277.8 | 294.8 |
| Bromley | 123.9 | 126.7 | 129.2 | 132.1 |
| Buckinghamshire | 265.4 | 271.7 | 277.4 | 284.8 |
| Bury | 83.4 | 89.2 | 94.7 | 100.7 |
| Calderdale | 100.9 | 107.4 | 113.3 | 119.9 |
| Cambridgeshire | 283.6 | 301.4 | 318.5 | 337.7 |
| Camden | 144.0 | 147.2 | 150.2 | 153.0 |
| Central Bedfordshire | 157.8 | 161.6 | 164.9 | 169.2 |
| Cheshire East | 197.6 | 206.0 | 214.0 | 223.4 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 207.0 | 217.6 | 227.6 | 238.8 |
| City of London | No allocation [footnote 1] | No allocation [footnote 1] | No allocation [footnote 1] | No allocation [footnote 1] |
| Cornwall | 322.5 | 341.7 | 359.5 | 379.9 |
| County Durham | 220.1 | 236.6 | 251.1 | 267.2 |
| Coventry | 156.6 | 177.0 | 196.4 | 216.7 |
| Croydon | 200.8 | 218.3 | 235.0 | 253.0 |
| Cumberland | No data [footnote 2] | No data [footnote 2] | No data [footnote 2] | No data [footnote 2] |
| Darlington | 55.4 | 58.0 | 60.4 | 63.1 |
| Derby | 90.9 | 105.1 | 118.5 | 132.6 |
| Derbyshire | 388.3 | 403.8 | 417.5 | 433.6 |
| Devon | 412.8 | 430.1 | 446.3 | 465.5 |
| Doncaster | 149.0 | 157.2 | 164.2 | 171.9 |
| Dorset | 182.3 | 192.3 | 201.9 | 213.1 |
| Dudley | 150.4 | 157.1 | 161.9 | 168.0 |
| Ealing | 126.0 | 141.1 | 155.1 | 170.1 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 177.8 | 182.0 | 185.4 | 190.1 |
| East Sussex | 322.0 | 331.4 | 339.8 | 349.9 |
| Enfield | 153.0 | 177.2 | 200.6 | 225.0 |
| Essex | 727.4 | 755.1 | 780.3 | 809.8 |
| Gateshead | 109.6 | 114.7 | 115.7 | 117.2 |
| Gloucestershire | 252.9 | 260.8 | 267.7 | 276.6 |
| Greenwich | 127.1 | 134.8 | 136.1 | 138.2 |
| Hackney | 139.8 | 148.7 | 156.2 | 164.3 |
| Halton | 80.6 | 84.1 | 85.8 | 88.3 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 84.7 | 86.6 | 88.3 | 90.0 |
| Hampshire | 642.8 | 661.5 | 678.3 | 699.1 |
| Haringey | 144.1 | 151.5 | 157.9 | 164.9 |
| Harrow | 102.6 | 110.7 | 118.5 | 126.9 |
| Hartlepool | 49.1 | 53.1 | 56.7 | 60.6 |
| Havering | 126.3 | 135.8 | 144.8 | 154.5 |
| Herefordshire, County of | 100.5 | 102.8 | 104.9 | 106.8 |
| Hertfordshire | 558.1 | 574.3 | 589.0 | 607.1 |
| Hillingdon | 127.3 | 141.9 | 155.9 | 170.6 |
| Hounslow | 125.6 | 140.1 | 154.0 | 168.9 |
| Isle of Wight | 89.8 | 91.8 | 93.7 | 95.4 |
| Isles of Scilly | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Islington | 135.9 | 139.9 | 141.7 | 144.4 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 68.4 | 69.9 | 71.3 | 72.6 |
| Kent | 756.9 | 807.4 | 855.7 | 909.1 |
| Kingston upon Hull, City of | 137.3 | 146.0 | 153.5 | 161.6 |
| Kingston upon Thames | 67.2 | 71.1 | 74.9 | 79.3 |
| Kirklees | 192.6 | 207.6 | 221.6 | 236.8 |
| Knowsley | 107.4 | 112.4 | 113.2 | 114.5 |
| Lambeth | 150.6 | 154.6 | 157.0 | 160.0 |
| Lancashire | 634.2 | 666.3 | 695.7 | 728.6 |
| Leeds | 301.5 | 333.4 | 363.2 | 394.9 |
| Leicester | 219.7 | 235.0 | 249.2 | 264.1 |
| Leicestershire | 285.0 | 300.0 | 314.1 | 330.3 |
| Lewisham | 141.5 | 149.0 | 150.5 | 152.6 |
| Lincolnshire | 309.7 | 336.1 | 360.7 | 387.7 |
| Liverpool | 286.4 | 303.0 | 317.2 | 332.7 |
| Luton | 90.9 | 107.1 | 122.8 | 139.2 |
| Manchester | 314.8 | 350.8 | 384.7 | 420.2 |
| Medway | 112.5 | 121.9 | 130.8 | 140.3 |
| Merton | 78.9 | 80.6 | 82.3 | 83.8 |
| Middlesbrough | 73.6 | 81.8 | 89.4 | 97.3 |
| Milton Keynes | 124.4 | 134.5 | 144.3 | 155.2 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 179.5 | 188.1 | 195.5 | 203.6 |
| Newham | 135.3 | 158.9 | 181.1 | 204.1 |
| Norfolk | 456.0 | 477.9 | 497.6 | 520.3 |
| North East Lincolnshire | 69.7 | 75.0 | 79.8 | 85.0 |
| North Lincolnshire | 80.5 | 85.1 | 89.2 | 93.7 |
| North Northamptonshire | 161.8 | 170.3 | 177.9 | 186.4 |
| North Somerset | 108.4 | 110.8 | 113.0 | 115.2 |
| North Tyneside | 93.2 | 98.1 | 99.4 | 102.8 |
| North Yorkshire | 327.4 | 341.1 | 354.0 | 369.1 |
| Northumberland | 151.2 | 161.3 | 170.7 | 181.3 |
| Nottingham | 158.1 | 174.7 | 190.1 | 206.2 |
| Nottinghamshire | 395.7 | 421.3 | 445.5 | 472.1 |
| Oldham | 93.5 | 104.5 | 114.7 | 125.3 |
| Oxfordshire | 313.4 | 326.2 | 338.3 | 352.8 |
| Peterborough | 88.0 | 98.8 | 109.0 | 119.7 |
| Plymouth | 125.1 | 131.7 | 137.1 | 143.3 |
| Portsmouth | 95.7 | 101.6 | 106.7 | 112.4 |
| Reading | 72.2 | 76.7 | 80.9 | 85.6 |
| Redbridge | 93.4 | 106.5 | 119.0 | 132.1 |
| Redcar and Cleveland | 64.1 | 68.3 | 72.0 | 76.1 |
| Richmond upon Thames | 89.7 | 91.7 | 93.5 | 95.3 |
| Rochdale | 116.4 | 122.4 | 127.5 | 133.2 |
| Rotherham | 130.6 | 138.5 | 145.4 | 153.0 |
| Rutland | 19.8 | 20.4 | 20.9 | 21.6 |
| Salford | 132.8 | 142.5 | 151.2 | 160.9 |
| Sandwell | 171.5 | 180.0 | 186.0 | 193.0 |
| Sefton | 134.7 | 141.3 | 143.1 | 147.7 |
| Sheffield | 295.1 | 317.7 | 338.5 | 360.6 |
| Shropshire | 147.4 | 152.0 | 155.8 | 160.7 |
| Slough | No data [footnote 2] | No data [footnote 2] | No data [footnote 2] | No data [footnote 2] |
| Solihull | 105.7 | 109.2 | 112.0 | 115.4 |
| Somerset | 296.8 | 309.2 | 320.4 | 333.5 |
| South Gloucestershire | 155.3 | 160.9 | 166.0 | 172.0 |
| South Tyneside | 85.8 | 90.3 | 90.0 | 91.2 |
| Southampton | 115.1 | 123.7 | 131.5 | 140.0 |
| Southend-on-Sea | 71.7 | 75.6 | 78.6 | 82.3 |
| Southwark | 149.0 | 154.0 | 155.4 | 158.3 |
| St. Helens | 93.5 | 98.0 | 98.8 | 100.2 |
| Staffordshire | 358.3 | 373.8 | 387.8 | 404.2 |
| Stockport | 147.1 | 150.7 | 153.6 | 157.3 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 84.6 | 90.5 | 95.8 | 101.8 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 123.3 | 130.6 | 136.8 | 143.6 |
| Suffolk | 387.2 | 403.7 | 418.8 | 436.4 |
| Sunderland | 156.6 | 163.6 | 165.0 | 167.0 |
| Surrey | 544.9 | 557.0 | 568.3 | 579.0 |
| Sutton | 90.3 | 92.8 | 95.0 | 97.6 |
| Swindon | 107.2 | 112.8 | 118.0 | 123.8 |
| Tameside | 107.7 | 113.5 | 118.4 | 124.0 |
| Telford and Wrekin | 91.0 | 98.0 | 104.5 | 111.6 |
| Thurrock | 34.1 | 38.6 | 42.6 | 47.0 |
| Torbay | 69.2 | 73.0 | 73.8 | 74.9 |
| Tower Hamlets | 148.9 | 169.7 | 189.2 | 209.7 |
| Trafford | 105.8 | 108.2 | 110.4 | 112.4 |
| Wakefield | 160.2 | 170.4 | 179.5 | 189.4 |
| Walsall | 139.0 | 154.1 | 168.2 | 183.0 |
| Waltham Forest | 118.2 | 125.1 | 131.3 | 138.0 |
| Wandsworth | 131.8 | 134.7 | 137.4 | 140.0 |
| Warrington | 100.4 | 103.4 | 105.9 | 108.9 |
| Warwickshire | 257.5 | 273.9 | 289.5 | 307.2 |
| West Berkshire | 78.9 | 80.6 | 82.2 | 83.8 |
| West Northamptonshire | 167.4 | 176.4 | 184.7 | 194.2 |
| West Sussex | 364.2 | 379.7 | 394.3 | 411.7 |
| Westminster | 103.3 | 105.6 | 107.8 | 109.8 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 118.8 | 121.5 | 123.9 | 126.3 |
| Wigan | 140.3 | 147.5 | 149.0 | 151.4 |
| Wiltshire | 217.0 | 225.9 | 233.9 | 243.5 |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | 65.2 | 66.7 | 68.0 | 69.3 |
| Wirral | 167.1 | 175.1 | 176.9 | 181.4 |
| Wokingham | 77.3 | 79.0 | 80.6 | 82.1 |
| Wolverhampton | 131.7 | 144.1 | 155.6 | 167.6 |
| Worcestershire | 251.3 | 262.4 | 272.5 | 284.3 |
| York | 83.0 | 84.8 | 86.5 | 88.2 |
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We have not set out an adult social care notional allocation for City of London. This reflects the provisional local government finance settlement approach to not publish core spending power allocations for the City in 2027 to 2028 and 2028 to 2029. MHCLG will continue to engage City of London regarding the design of bespoke arrangements, including through the business rates retention system, and notional allocations will be updated to reflect those once agreed. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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Cumberland and Slough allocations have not been published due to not submitting revenue account (RA) data for 2025 to 2026 or revenue outturn (RO) data for 2024 to 2025. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8