Fire chiefs welcome Government’s stronger funding settlement

The improved position reflects sustained and constructive engagement by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), alongside valuable interventions from local MPs and representative bodies who helped champion the sector’s needs.

The NFCC understands that the additional funding will be targeted towards those Fire and Rescue Services most at risk, where funding inequities have been greatest. While this marks a positive step forward and shows the Government is listening, the NFCC firmly believes that long‑term investment remains essential to ensure Fire and Rescue Services can meet what are now increasingly complex risks as well as future demands.

The settlement confirms several important reforms for Fire and Rescue Services, including greater council tax flexibility (standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities will be able to increase council tax precepts by up to £5 per year for a Band D property) and a strengthened funding floor (Fire and Rescue Authorities applying the full £5 rise will receive at least an uplift in core spending power, thereby providing improved protection against cost pressures).

The uplift in the funding floor follows extensive advocacy by the NFCC, local parliamentarians and representative bodies who highlighted the operational pressures on Fire and Rescue Services. Earlier proposals risked real‑terms reductions following a decade of cuts, but collective engagement has helped to secure a more equitable outcome.

While the provisional settlement prior to Christmas introduced inflation‑level increases, the NFCC continued to press for additional headroom in order to reflect inflation and rising operational costs.

Clear improvement

NFCC chair Phil Garrigan noted: “We welcome the Government’s decision to strengthen the funding floor with the provision of an additional £15 million. This is a clear improvement on the provisional position and a reflection of sustained and constructive engagement between the NFCC, Government, local MPs and representative bodies.”

Garrigan continued: “After a decade of cuts, Fire and Rescue Services were facing further real‑terms reductions. The reforms announced before Christmas were welcomed, but we were clear they did not go far enough in recognising unavoidable pressures and rising demand. The Government has listened. This revised settlement offers greater stability and capacity to protect the public.”

Further, Garrigan observed: “This is an important step forward, but long‑term underinvestment – particularly so the loss of almost £1 billion in capital funding, a significant reduction in firefighter numbers and the previous disinvestment in the central co-ordination of the sector – must now be addressed. Securing sustainable investment for the future is the next priority.”

Cumulative impact

The NFCC has consistently highlighted the cumulative impact of underinvestment and the risks associated with further cuts. Earlier proposals linked to the Fair Funding Review 2.0 raised concerns about an over‑reliance on population growth, which risked disadvantaging areas with slower population change, but higher risk profiles – including chemical sites, high‑rise buildings and areas of deprivation, particularly in the North East.

NFCC modelling indicated potential real‑terms cuts of up to £102 million under initial proposals. Following interventions led by fire chiefs and supported by parliamentary representatives, the Government increased the funding floor by 2.2% in December. The NFCC continued to advocate for a settlement that fully reflected inflation and other pressures, duly leading to confirmation from the Government of an increased uplift met with additional funding.

Given that the uplift is dependent on Fire and Rescue Authorities adopting the full £5 council tax flexibility, the NFCC is encouraging them to make full use of this option. For county council‑run Fire and Rescue Services, the financial arrangements are more complex and Fire and Rescue Services in those areas rely on local decisions to ensure a similar level of protection. The NFCC is seeking support from all those governing Fire and Rescue Authorities to make local decisions that support ongoing resilience.

Government data

Government data shows that Fire and Rescue Services in England responded to 642,170 incidents in the year to September 2025. That’s a 28% rise over the past decade, while wholetime firefighter numbers have fallen by 25% since 2008 (around 11,000 posts). At the same time, Fire and Rescue Services are managing increasingly complex challenges linked to climate change, new energy technologies and an expanded civil resilience role.

Fire chiefs remain committed to meeting these challenges, appreciating the positive intervention by Government, but also recognising that ageing estates, outdated infrastructure and historic financial pressures continue to limit progress.

The NFCC is urging the Government to build on this settlement with a long‑term investment strategy that ensures Fire and Rescue Services are properly equipped to keep communities safe and resilient, not only now, but also in the years ahead.