The cost of running Knowsley’s two biggest services rose by a combined £18.3 million in a single year, according to the government’s own accounts of what the council actually spent.
The figures come from the DLUHC revenue outturn — the central record of every English council’s net current expenditure, the day-to-day cost of services after fees and charges are taken off.
Adult social care was the largest pressure. Spending rose from £87.9 million in 2024 to £99.1 million in 2025, an increase of £11.2 million, or 13%. Children’s social care rose by the same percentage — up 13%, from £53.4 million to £60.5 million, an extra £7.1 million. Between them, the two services account for almost all of the year’s growth.
Housing services rose at a faster rate, up 38% — from £2.6 million to £3.5 million, an increase of £1.0 million — though from a much smaller base.
Across all services, Knowsley’s total expenditure rose 11%, from £389.1 million to £430.9 million. Social care for adults and children together now makes up well over a third of that total, and rising demand in both areas is the main reason councils across England report budgets under strain.
Outturn data records money already spent, not budgets or forecasts, so it is the clearest public measure of where the pressure is landing. The figures do not, on their own, explain why costs rose — that can reflect more people needing care, the cost of placements and staff, or both.
Responsibility for the council’s finances sits with the cabinet member for resources, Cllr Jayne E Lonergan, who can be contacted at jayne.lonergan@knowsley.gov.uk. The council’s statutory finance officer — the section 151 officer, legally responsible for the authority’s financial affairs — is Stephan Van Arendsen.
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