Dumfries and Galloway Council has confirmed its final revenue budget position for 2025/26, following consideration by the Enabling and Customer Services Committee today (Tuesday 16 June).
The final outturn report shows that spending on services directly managed by the council was contained within the budgets available, with a small underspend of £1.649 million, equivalent to 0.45% of the agreed budget, returned by these services at the end of the financial year.
The report also confirms that the Integration Joint Board (IJB) experienced significant financial pressures within delegated health and social care services during 2025/26, resulting in a year-end overspend of £9.497 million. In line with the agreed integration arrangements, the IJB approached the council for financial support to address that position.
Overall, the report highlights that, despite continued pressures and challenges in a difficult financial environment, the council was able to achieve a combination of in-year corporate variances and the release of reserves to manage the IJB overspend and support the council’s wider financial resilience going forward.
Councillor John Campbell, Chair of the Enabling and Customer Services Committee, said:
“This report gives a clear picture of the council’s final financial position for 2025/26 and shows that, overall, spending has been managed carefully across services during another very challenging year.
“At the same time, it also reflects the significant financial pressure within delegated health and social care services and the need for the council to respond to the Integration Joint Board overspend in line with the agreed arrangements.
“It is important that we continue to take a prudent and realistic approach, both in how we manage current pressures and in how we maintain the council’s financial resilience going forward.”
Councillor Ben Dashper, Vice-Chair of the committee, said:
“This is a careful and measured outturn report which reflects prudent budget management across council services, while also recognising the seriousness of the pressures affecting health and social care. The focus now is on maintaining financial discipline and supporting resilience in the year ahead.”
As part of the report, members agreed that the council should provide a non-recoverable contribution of £9.497 million to address the IJB overspend, funded through a combination of in-year corporate variances and the release of reserves. Members also agreed the reallocation of funds held to support corporate financial management in order to provide additional support for budget pressures and ongoing financial resilience.