Audit crisis: over 60 councils miss deadline as backlog persists

More than 60 local authorities failed to publish their accounts by the first backstop deadline, with 13 still outstanding after the second deadline last week, according to new data.

Please subscribe or upgrade your membership. To continue reading this article please sign in below or subscribe to our site.

A series of backstop dates were introduced by the government as part of its plans to clear the local authority audit backlog and return to “timely”

Audit crisis: over 60 councils miss deadline as backlog persists

More from Aysha Gilmore

The role of shared services in today’s local government

Council housing spend up 13% as homelessness pressures mount

Another former Brunel fund heads to LPPI

Reports

SEND deficit write-off: implications for treasury managers

How are LGPS investors grappling with the AI race?

Equities Roundtable York October 2026

LGPS Central to launch social housing fund

Thurrock receives £200m debt support despite sector concerns

More from Audit

Audit completion up but improved guidance on reforms needed

Accounting code: decluttered but still complex?

The 151er podcast episode 3 - no small accounts

Accounts show growing divide in financial health of councils

Birmingham publishes three years of accounts

Audit backlog eases as 75% of councils file on time

Is Reform’s DOGE a threat to local government audit?

More from Audit

Government’s 16 commitments to fix audit system

Local audit crisis ‘undermining’ financial oversight

Do LAO reforms tackle the roots of the crisis?

More from Aysha Gilmore

Reports

Most read in Audit

More from Audit

More from Audit