Independent project, not run by or affiliated with Hammersmith & Fulham Council
How this year’s gap opened and closed
Costs rose by £6.4m and the council’s funding fell by £10.8m, leaving a £17.2m gap. The council closed it with more council tax and savings.
What changed in costs
Rising prices of contracts and supplies +£6.9m
Pay rise for staff +£4.0m
Essential service pressures +£3.2m
Other changes, including interest on cash balances −£5.6m
Lower employer pension contributions −£2.1m
What changed in funding
Less business rates kept locally +£30.7m
More government grants −£13.2m
Transitional relief under the funding reform −£6.0m
Smaller council tax surplus from last year +£3.3m
Other collection fund changes −£4.0m
Gap to close£17.2m
How it was closed
More council tax −£7.7m
Savings and efficiencies −£9.5m
Balanced£0.0m
Show the gap as a table
| Step | Change | Gap after this step |
|---|---|---|
| What changed in costs | ||
| Rising prices of contracts and supplies | +£6.9m | £6.9m |
| Pay rise for staff | +£4.0m | £10.9m |
| Essential service pressures | +£3.2m | £14.1m |
| Other changes, including interest on cash balances | −£5.6m | £8.5m |
| Lower employer pension contributions | −£2.1m | £6.4m |
| What changed in funding | ||
| Less business rates kept locally | +£30.7m | £37.1m |
| More government grants | −£13.2m | £23.9m |
| Transitional relief under the funding reform | −£6.0m | £17.9m |
| Smaller council tax surplus from last year | +£3.3m | £21.2m |
| Other collection fund changes | −£4.0m | £17.2m |
| Gap to close | £17.2m | |
| How it was closed | ||
| More council tax | −£7.7m | £9.5m |
| Savings and efficiencies | −£9.5m | £0.0m |
| Balanced | £0.0m | |
sourcedAll lines
The £9.5m of savings, line by line
£5.8m of this year’s savings are one-off. They save nothing in 2027/28, so the same amount comes back as part of next year’s gap.
Service savings: £9.5m
| Saving | Service | This year | 2027/28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stretch target: wider range of local services, one-off opportunities and preventative servicesone-off | Adult Social Care | £1.8m | £0.0m |
| Place redesign phase 3 | All Place Services | £1.3m | £1.3m |
| Transfer private sector leases to the council's housing company with higher charges | Housing Solutions | £1.1m | £1.1m |
| Redesign provision and transform practice to give residents more choice and control | Adult Social Care | £1.0m | £1.0m |
| Other commercial initiatives | Public Realm | £0.8m | £0.8m |
| Review fees and charges | All Place Services | £0.5m | £0.5m |
| Charge for payments by commercial card | Corporate | £0.5m | £0.5m |
| Reform the Local Support Payment scheme | Revenues and Benefits | £0.5m | £0.5m |
| Service efficiencies through closer integration and joint working | Children and Young Peoples Services | £0.4m | £0.4m |
| Review care costs with NHS Continuing Health Care criteria as people with very high needs leave hospital | Specialist Support and Independent Living | £0.2m | £0.2m |
| Public health service efficiencies | Public Health | £0.2m | £0.2m |
| Make better use of direct payments to give residents more choice and control | Independent Living, Quality, Performance and Safeguarding | £0.2m | £0.2m |
| Targeted reduction in waste disposal costs | Public Realm | £0.2m | £0.2m |
| HBOP | Corporate | £0.2m | £0.2m |
| Reprovide mental health services to match demand and reduce duplication | Specialist Support and Independent Living | £0.2m | £0.2m |
| Raise council tax summons costs by £20 a summons | Revenues and Benefits | £0.2m | £0.2m |
| Service efficiencies in education and special educational needs | Education and Special Educational Needs | £0.1m | £0.1m |
| More income from property licences | Private Housing Standards | £0.1m | £0.1m |
| Service efficiencies across People's Commissioning | People's Commissioning | £0.06m | £0.06m |
| Commissioning and transformation efficiencies | People's Commissioning | £0.06m | £0.06m |
| Raise business rates summons costs by £20 a summons | Revenues and Benefits | £0.02m | £0.02m |
| Estates efficiencies from co-locating services | Specialist Support and Independent Living | £0.0m | £0.1m |
| Estates efficiencies from co-locating services | Specialist Support and Independent Living | £0.0m | £0.08m |
Collection fund savings: £8.4m
More council tax and business rates collected, and provisions released. These sit in the funding lines above, not in the savings line.
| Saving | Service | This year | 2027/28 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release £2m from the collection fund as council tax arrears keep fallingone-off | Council Tax | £2.0m | £0.0m |
| Release £2m of bad debt provision on business ratesone-off | Business Rates | £2.0m | £0.0m |
| More homes charged the second homes premium and a larger tax base | Council Tax | £1.7m | £1.7m |
| More business rates income from a larger base and full recovery (includes extra staff) | Business Rates | £1.7m | £1.7m |
| Raise council tax collection by 1%, 1.25% and 1.5% (includes extra staff) | Council Tax | £0.9m | £1.1m |
| End relief for residents' and tenants' associations and voluntary aided schools | Business Rates | £0.1m | £0.1m |