Statement of accounts

Wakefield Council Accounts Update

The 2024/25 draft Statement of Accounts, draft Annual Governance Statement, and the Public Inspection Notice for Wakefield Council has been published.

Wakefield Council is strongly committed to managing public money responsibly and operating transparently. We know doing that is the only way we maintain public confidence and can continue to deliver the frontline services our communities rely on.

That’s why it’s disappointing that, like many other Councils across the country, we’re being affected by a national delay in signing off Local Authority accounts. The well-documented audit backlog across the whole sector means that our 2022/23 and 2023/24 accounts have been subject to a disclaimed opinion. 
This term means that the auditor can’t give an opinion on a financial statement. In these circumstances that’s because they haven’t reviewed them due to the backlog and the timing of a backstop set by the Government, rather than because of any issues.

The Government have recently said that local Councils “should not be unfairly judged based on disclaimed or modified opinions, caused by…[arrangements]…that are largely beyond their control.” We support their plans for a wholesale overhaul of the system that delivers Local Government audits.

In the meantime, this disclaimed opinion on our 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial statements will have a knock-on impact on our 2024-25 draft accounts. In particular there will be a lack of audit assurance about our opening position at April 2024. So, like many other Councils, there is now likely to be a period where future accounting is impacted by this disclaimed opinion.

Whilst we wait for the Government to reform the auditing process, we’ll continue to work hard every day to deliver value for money for local taxpayers.

Statement of Account documents

Councils must produce an annual Statement of Accounts in accordance with legislative requirements and the Code of Practice on Local Authority Accounting in the UK.

​Previous years Statement of Accounts are available on request - please call 01924 306418

• 2024-25 Draft Statement of Accounts
• 2024-25 Draft Annual Governance Statement
• 2024-25 Public Inspection Notice
• 2023-24 Statement Of Accounts
• 2023-24 Annual Governance Statement
• 2022-23 Statement of Accounts
• 2022-23 Annual Governance Statement
  
• Appendix A - Governance Framework
• 2021-22 Audited Statement of Accounts
• 2021-22 Approved Annual Governance Statement
• 2020-21 Annual Governance Statement Draft
• 2020-21 Audited Statement of Accounts