Last week's Budget was a bit of a mixed bag: more money than was expected, but less than is needed. Even the Office for Budget Responsibility took a moment to note that the perilous state of the sector's finances is still one of the big risks for the Government.

With the number of councils considering applying for exceptional financial support rising, the oft-cited surprise financial black hole chancellor Rachel Reeves claims to have inherited, and a burning platform in the vote-winning (or losing) NHS, it was always unlikely councils would get all the cash they needed.