THERE will be more money to provide care for Devon's vulnerable adults and children in the county council's target budget for 2025/26.

On Wednesday, January 8, Devon County Council Cabinet agreed a proposed budget with an overall 5.9 per cent increase in spending on local services for Devon.

There will be an 8.2 per cent increase in the revenue budget for adult services with a 5.5 per cent rise in children's services and 3.4 per cent extra for climate change, environment and transport.

Reductions in other departmental spending give a total overall budget of over £784.1 million.

The full council will debate the budget next month.

The cabinet member for finance, Phil Twiss, said: “This overall increase includes almost £66 million in additional funding to meet the costs of inflation, national living wage increases, growing demand and other pressures in delivering all of our services.

“However, we must live within our means and ensure our total investment in services is affordable. With this in mind, savings, alternative funding and additional income totalling £21.7 million have been identified.”

He said the Government’s provisional settlement for local councils appeared positive with a 4.66 per cent increase in Devon’s core spending power.

But in reality, Devon had received a poor settlement with the lowest increase out of all 21 county councils nationally.

“This is particularly reflected in the loss of more than £10 million in Rural Services Delivery Grant,” he said.

Director of Finance, Angie Sinclair, told councillors there had been a renewed drive across the council to cut costs.

She added: "Inflationary pressures continue to be felt across the economy, local government and our partners, despite the rate of inflation reducing in the past two years from its peak.

"Social care is particularly impacted by increases to the national living wage which is again increased by above inflation and the increases to National Insurance announced in the Chancellor’s Budget.

"The cost of inflation places sustained financial pressures both on our households and communities and our suppliers and service providers and contributes to the ongoing impact in terms of price and demand pressures on the authority’s budget.

"Overall, there is additional funding of £44 million or 5.9 per cent for services next year compared to the adjusted base budget."

She said this was a real terms increase in spending compared to the current inflation rate of around 2.5 percent.

She said there were no plans to raid the council's balances to boost spending.

"This reflects a strategy of ‘living within our means’ and, as such, to set service budgets that are affordable within anticipated income and funding totals for next year."