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Budget overspend

14 stories · discussed at 2 council meetings · 9 councils

Councils are currently projecting significant budget overspends for the 2026/27 financial year, primarily driven by social care and housing pressures.

Several councils are projecting significant budget overspends for the 2026/27 financial year, primarily due to increased demand and costs in social care and housing. Wandsworth Council forecasts a £5.3 million overspend, while Newham Council projects £6.17 million, and Redbridge Council £8.485 million. These figures were reported in Quarter 1 financial monitoring reports in September and October 2026.

The overspends are largely concentrated in Adults & Health and Children & Young People's Services, as well as housing pressures. Redbridge Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Shared Prosperity, Councillor Vanisha Solanki, stated in September 2026 that rigorous challenge sessions are in place to identify further savings. Wandsworth Council's forecast assumes £12 million in mitigating actions will be implemented.

A budget overspend occurs when actual expenditure exceeds the allocated budget. While many councils are currently reporting projected overspends for 2026/27, some councils, such as Hillingdon and Bexley, reported improvements in their forecast overspend positions for the 2025/26 financial year in early 2026.

Key facts

  1. Wandsworth Council projects a £5.3 million budget overspend for the 2026/27 financial year. Source
  2. Newham Council projects a £6.17 million budget overspend for the 2026/27 financial year. Source
  3. Redbridge Council projects an £8.485 million budget overspend for the 2026/27 financial year. Source
  4. Wandsworth Council's forecast assumes £12 million in mitigating actions will be implemented. Source
  5. Richmond upon Thames' Adult Social Care faces a £0.514 million overspend for Q1 2026-27. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 9 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Stories, page 2

  1. Bexley Council forecasts £1.36m budget overspend, citing improved financial position Bexley Council is forecasting a budget overspend of £1.361 million for the financial year 2025/26, representing less than half a percent of its total net revenue budget of just... Bexley 11 April 2026
  2. Tower Hamlets Council Faces £18.6m Budget Overspend Driven by Social Care Demand Tower Hamlets Council is facing a projected budget overspend of £18.6 million for the financial year 2025-26, according to a report presented to the Overview & Scrutiny... Tower Hamlets 25 March 2026
  3. Bromley Council Forecasts £16.16 Million Budget Overspend for 2025/26 Bromley Council is facing a projected budget overspend of £16.16 million for the 2025/26 financial year, according to a report presented to the council's Executive committee. Bromley 25 March 2026
  4. Hillingdon Council Faces £36.3 Million Budget Overspend Driven by Social Care and Housing Pressures Hillingdon Council is facing a significant budget overspend of £36.3 million for the current financial year, primarily driven by increased demand in children's services, adult... Hillingdon 23 March 2026
  5. Bexley Council faces £1.76m budget overspend Bexley Council is facing a projected budget overspend of £1.76 million for the 2025/26 financial year, according to a report presented to the Public Cabinet meeting on Monday,... Bexley 25 February 2026
  6. Waltham Forest faces £31.4M budget overspend Waltham Forest is grappling with a significant budget overspend of £31.4 million, according to a recent report presented to the Budget Scrutiny Committee. Like many other local... Waltham Forest 8 September 2025