Faced with inflation, rising demand for social care and years of Government cuts, Newcastle City Council has some tough decisions to make to balance the books in 2025-26. Since 2010 the council has saved £381m and is forecast to need to save a further £62.8m over the next three years - £21.3m next year rising to £23.5m in 2026-27 and then £18m in 2027-28. The Council's Cabinet met on Tuesday 10 December to consider the proposals and begin a five-week consultation period so the public and partners can give their views. 

We currently charge different prices per meal for different types of school meals, such as nursery, primary school, and secondary. The price is also affected by whether the meal is paid-for (by parents or carers) or free. Prices range from between £2.10 to £3.25 per meal. 
In future, we propose to move to a standard pricing model, where one fixed price per meal is charged for all meals. Schools would pay for each meal taken, as they do now, but they would be free to decide what charge per meal is passed onto 'paying parents and carers', whose children are not eligible for free school meals. There would be an increase in the payment each year to reflect increased costs for employees and food due to inflation, and to reduce the cost to Newcastle City Council of subsidising the service.

You can see a video explaining the proposal below, and the full details of this proposal can be found here: School Meals (PDF). You can give your views by taking part in our short survey at the bottom of this page, and giving us your views on this proposal, and any suggestions you have for how we can save money or generate income. You can also share your thoughts by emailing us at: letstalk@newcastle.gov.uk, and we have also produced a PDF copy of our questions, which can be printed off, completed, and returned to us at: FREEPOST Let’s Talk (this is the full address) if this is easier for you or someone you know:

This year we have two proposals - listed below as 'Integrated Impact Assessments' - about 1) changes to the reablement service (this is a short-term service that helps people regain the skills and confidence they need to live independently at home), and 2) Council Tax and the Adult Social Care Precept. We also have a survey asking for your views on the budget as a whole. We would like to hear any comments you have to make specifically about these proposals - click on the links below to give your views. 

If you, or someone you know, need an Easy Read version of information about our budget, you can read this here: 2025 2026 Newcastle Council Budget - Easy Read.pdf

The People's Budget is our online budget simulator, where residents can try out setting their own spending priorities for the city, looking at how we might make savings, generate income, and what to do about whether or not to raise Council Tax and the Adult Social Care Precept.  To try it for yourself, click here: People's Budget 2025-2026

We will consult on our draft budget proposals from 11 December 2024 until 15 January 2025. In February 2025, Cabinet will be asked to recommend the post-consultation budget to City Council. City Council will debate and vote on the budget at their meeting in March 2025. We will publish the final budget proposals, including a report on the consultation findings, on our website: Newcastle City Council. Thank you for giving us your views.