Local government budget cuts - which saw the sector's spending power diminished by more than a quarter (27%) between 2010/11 and 2014/15 - hit the most deprived areas of England the most, a study by a leading anti-poverty charity has concluded.

A paper issued today by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) indicates the poorest English councils have experienced per head spending cuts £182 higher than the most prosperous local authority areas.

Entitled ‘The Cost of Cuts', the analysis suggests the historic link between local authority spending and needs-based support has been broken – with the differential in per capita expenditure for the poorest councils having reduced from 45% extra cash allocation in 2010/11 to 17% by 2014/15.