Norfolk gets extra £2.1m in government funding for 2026/27
Norfolk County Council has received an additional £2.1 million through the Final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026/27. The council is also in line for a payment covering 90% of its Special Educational Needs funding deficit, though payment won't arrive until autumn 2026.
Norfolk County Council will receive an extra £2.1 million in its revenue budget for 2026/27 after the government confirmed the Final Local Government Finance Settlement, the Director of Strategic Finance told the Audit and Governance Committee on 10 February.
The settlement also set out a plan to resolve the council's High Needs Block Designated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit — the funding gap caused by rising demand for Special Educational Needs (SEN) support. The government will cover 90% of the deficit up to 31 March 2026, with Norfolk paying the remaining 10%.
To receive the government's contribution, the council must submit a plan to the Department for Education (DfE). Payment is expected in autumn 2026, subject to approval.
The Safety Valve Programme — a government scheme designed to help councils manage growing SEN costs — has now concluded. Previous payments made by both the DfE and the council under that programme will be factored into the final calculation.
However, the council was warned that further DSG deficits are expected in both 2026/27 and 2027/28. No details of what government support, if any, will be available for those future years have yet been provided.
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