RISING numbers of children in care are pushing council coffers into the red by millions of pounds.

Spending on looking after children is forecast to bust Cumbria County Council's budget by £4.283m by the end of the financial year.

Social services bosses had set their budget based on an assumption that the number of children living in care would drop from 663 in April to 529 by March 2017.

But the figure is now expected to exceed expectations – with children's services experts now predicting the number will actually top 615 over the next six months.

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A report to members of councils cabinet committee on the matter states: "This additional funding allows for the 663 children that were looked after at April 1, 2016 with the assumption that numbers of children would reduce to 529 by March 31, 2017.

"The costs of children looked after are related to the setting in which the child is cared for.

"The overall cost pressure, therefore is a combination of the number and placement types, for example foster or residential care, as the unit cost varies across type.

"Numbers of children being supported and the associated costs will be continually monitored as the year continues."

The stark finances was revealed as bosses within the cash-starved authority received an update on measures to slash £45.5m from its spending in the next three years.

Councillor Patricia Bell, the council's finance boss, said: "This is the seventh year of budget reductions which has forced Cumbria County Council to make £153m of savings.

"Over the next three years we have to find an extra £45.5m in savings, creating a total spending reduction of nearly £200m."

Cllr Bell added: "Delivering these savings is a huge task but collectively I think we should take some comfort that we are on track to deliver 95.4 per cent of all the identified savings this year."