Austerity’s £18bn impact on local services

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:43 am

Local authorities have scrapped access to vital services for 150,000 pensioners and cut child protection spending by 8 per cent since 2010, as cash-strapped councils scramble to cope with George Osborne’s austerity drive, analysis by the Financial Times has found.

Across Britain, services have been abandoned and entitlements altered as the chancellor has conducted one of the developed world’s most effective exercises in deficit reduction.

A detailed breakdown by the FT of council spending over the past five years has revealed that local government services are creaking under the weight of growing demand as local authority budgets have been cut by £18bn in real terms since 2010 — with at least another £9.5bn expected by the end of the decade.

This is equivalent to a fifth of spending by England’s 300-plus local authorities, whose budget for running services, from social care to road sweeping, has been reduced at twice the rate of cuts to UK public spending as a whole.

Councils’ attempts to meet rising demand with diminishing resources are illustrated by the number of children forced to stay in bed-and-breakfasts or shared hostels for more than six weeks at a time — a breach of the law since 2003.

English councils broke that law 701 times on December 31 2014, affecting an estimated 1,000 children — a sevenfold increase on the same day in 2009 — as they struggled to accommodate the growing number of families caught by Britain’s housing crisis.

Gary Porter, Conservative chairman of the Local Government Association, said that if the reductions in funding were “anything like the level that people are predicting”, in some areas all but statutory services would be stopped.

The FT’s analysis shows the extent to which statutory services are already under pressure. Children’s social work departments, faced with a surge in referrals after public awareness was raised through a series of abuse scandals, have seen their funds cut by the equivalent of more than £600 for every referred child.

By 2014, some 150,000 elderly disabled people — who five years ago would have received help with washing and dressing — no longer qualified as councils tightened eligibility criteria to help only those with the most severe needs.

Yet public satisfaction with how councils are run has risen or stayed the same in most areas and councils are becoming more entrepreneurial as they find alternative sources of revenue.

Between 2009-10 and 2013-14, local government cut its administrative spending by £1.9bn, or more than 19 per cent in real terms, through measures such as staff reductions and merging services with other councils. However, these efficiency savings are unlikely to be repeatable.

“Local government this year has to make savings of 9 per cent,” said John Jackson, a council social services director who speaks for the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.

Austerity’s £18bn impact on local services 8c5f2e0e-2c9c-11e5-8613-e7aedbb7bdb7

Austerity’s £18bn impact on local services 8c5f2e0e-2c9c-11e5-8613-e7aedbb7bdb7

“That’s not coming about from overheads. Most of that will have come from reducing the resources available for public services. That’s not possible without reducing services,” he said.

Universal services aimed at all Britons, rather than just the most needy, have also suffered. Councils have ended, or reduced the frequency of, some household waste collections, with bulky household goods collections being cut by more than a quarter in three years.

The part played by councils in protecting public safety, through local environmental regulation, food inspections and workplace health and safety checks, has also been scaled back by sharp cuts, as government directions to reduce “red tape” have been given further impetus by the need to save money and reduce staff.

In 2009-10, council inspectors in England made 56,175 visits to local factories and other workplaces to ensure health and safety rules were being followed and employee health safeguarded. By 2013-14, the number had been slashed by 91 per cent, to just 4,901 inspections, while 53 councils opted to abandon proactive inspections altogether.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/5fcbd0c4-2948-11e5-8db8-c033edba8a6e.html#axzz3gQ1yyblF

We should be ashamed that as a country still classed as rich, we allow this to happen

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 7:43 pm

Answer No1:- cut rebate on second homes If the second home is in a different county pays full council tax in BOTH

Answer No2:- double council tax on ALL domestic properties worth over 1 million

Answer No3:- remove council tax rebate/concession on ALL "places of worship"

Answer No4:- allied to no1 increase tax rate on all "holiday homes" unless run as a business (and make sure the definition of run as a business means 35/52 weeks occupancy by paying guests)

Answer No5:- increase tax rate on night clubs and "late pubs"

Answer no6:- litter tax on all fast food outlets

Answer no7:- remove all translator services from councils and make it a condition of employment that all front office staff learn BSL

just a few solutions to be going on with.......
answer no8:-

by Original Quill Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:01 pm

Austerity is a synonym for economic slow-down:

A Very Greek Crisis wrote:Instead, perhaps there is more truth in the "austerity does not work" argument, which identifies the problem with the policy recipe. Indeed, criticism to the austerity prescription has been mounting over the years, and influential voices, among them the Nobel Laureates Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz, have frequently made the rather simple argument that austerity suppresses demand and investment, negating the benefits of fiscal consolidation. Even the IMF seems to have accepted this, recognising recently that the assumptions about the size of fiscal multipliers under austerity have been far too unrealistic.

http://www.intereconomics.eu/archive/year/2013/1/austerity-measures-in-crisis-countries-results-and-impact-on-mid-term-development/

Who didn't see that coming?

by veya_victaous Mon Jul 20, 2015 10:48 pm

victorismyhero wrote:Answer No1:- cut rebate on second homes If the second home is in a different county pays full council tax in BOTH

Answer No2:- double council tax on ALL domestic properties worth over 1 million

Answer No3:- remove council tax rebate/concession on ALL "places of worship"

Answer No4:- allied to no1 increase tax rate on all "holiday homes" unless run as a business (and make sure the definition of run as a business means 35/52 weeks occupancy by paying guests)

Answer No5:- increase tax rate on night clubs and "late pubs"

Answer no6:- litter tax on all fast food outlets

Answer no7:- remove all translator services from councils and make it a condition of employment that all front office staff learn BSL

just a few solutions to be going on with.......
answer no8:-

1 to 6 is good....
7 is just racist/xenophobic Rolling Eyes

then you will whinge that they are all unemployed and wonder why they don't use or know about any of the services Rolling Eyes

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 10:51 pm

veya_victaous wrote:
victorismyhero wrote:Answer No1:- cut rebate on second homes If the second home is in a different county pays full council tax in BOTH

Answer No2:- double council tax on ALL domestic properties worth over 1 million

Answer No3:- remove council tax rebate/concession on ALL "places of worship"

Answer No4:- allied to no1 increase tax rate on all "holiday homes" unless run as a business (and make sure the definition of run as a business means 35/52 weeks occupancy by paying guests)

Answer No5:- increase tax rate on night clubs and "late pubs"

Answer no6:- litter tax on all fast food outlets

Answer no7:- remove all translator services from councils and make it a condition of employment that all front office staff learn BSL

just a few solutions to be going on with.......
answer no8:-

1 to 6 is good....
7 is just racist/xenophobic then you will whinge that they are all unemployed and wonder why they don't use or know about any of the services

If they cant cope...tough...... should learn before they come?
OR

PAY for translation services...just as I have had to do when abroad

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:27 pm

So help me Victor, after the scenes in the HOC tonight, I'm about ready to immigrate. If I had no family, I bloody well would.

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:42 pm

no body would take you , you renegade old lefty you Razz

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:44 pm

anyways what have the fatuous fools in westminster been up to now?...I havnt been following today

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:44 pm

Cuba?

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:46 pm

sassy wrote:Cuba?

go on then...then you can send me some cigars Laughing

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:49 pm

victorismyhero wrote:anyways what have the fatuous fools in westminster been up to now?...I havnt been following today

The Welfare Bill. And the majority of Labour, apart from 48 who have a spine, abstained. Every single Labour Party constituency member I know is appalled and utter ashamed of them. John McDonnell bless his heart said he would swim through a sea of vomit rather than not vote.

Austerity’s £18bn impact on local services CKYo0nsWoAEujI4

Austerity’s £18bn impact on local services CKYo0nsWoAEujI4

There are serious thought about deselecting the ones who abstained and Burnham, Cooper and Kendall have just finished their chances of being elected as Leader.

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:49 pm

victorismyhero wrote:
sassy wrote:Cuba?

go on then...then you can send me some cigars

With pleasure!

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:50 pm

Corbyn ??

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:55 pm

victorismyhero wrote:Corbyn ??

He voted against and said there was no way on earth he wouldn't. Come on Jeremy!

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:57 pm

good for him...

I am starting to like that man.....

by Guest Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:59 pm

Been supporting him from the beginning as soon a Keir Starmer said he didn't want to run. In fact, think Corbyn is a better choice as he has had so much experience and stuck to his principles every inch of the way.

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:00 am

with him in charge labour could do well...BUT

they have to get rid of hariet harman and her ilk .......

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:01 am

Huge following fighting for him on Twitter. Our CLP will get the votes in on Wednesday over who we are going to support and Jeremy is way in front in our lot.

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:04 am

victorismyhero wrote:with him in charge labour could do well...BUT

they have to get rid of hariet harman and her ilk .......

Absolutely agree, I think in some ways it has done us a favour. All the time people were saying 'we didn't vote Labour because they left us' and people didn't vote SNP because they wanted independence, they had just voted against that, they were voting against austerity and for the left, and the SNP was way left of Labour. Now we can see who the real Labour Party are. Was talking to Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich South a few weeks ago, he also voted against and supports Corbyn, he's a bloody inspiration, young, energetic and real Labour through and through.

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:05 am

as I said...harman cost the labour party untold votes in rural marginals......with 6 months to go.....

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:09 am

The lady who stood for Labour in our area, although she didn't win, she really increased the Labour vote, and that's because she is the very antitheisis of Harman, left as they come, really involved in the community, when a young couple had their house burn down and they were left with nothing, she got them somewhere to live and arranged a whipround to get them everything they need for the baby and basic furniture etc. She's absolutely amazing and I love her to bits, she's become a really good friend.

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:12 am

whereas all harman could find as a sound byte was "hammer the shooting community"

which as i said probably cost over 100,000 rural marginal votes

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:13 am

advice for your Labour party comrades....

keep your nose OUT of rural affairs and concentrate on what you get elected for....running the country ......

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:16 am

victorismyhero wrote:advice for your Labour party comrades....

keep your nose OUT of rural affairs and concentrate on what you get elected for....running the country ......

In rural affairs, because we are on the Town, District and County Council. We actually have a few farmers on the CLP lol

In fact we arranged the Farmers Market!

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:18 am

Just thought, we also have the river fishing people on board!

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:18 am

yeah, but far too many of the labour have NO idea.....

and i suspect that the shooting community wasnt the only "small interest group" that hated labour....

labour has spent too much time "interfering" where its neither wanted nor needed...to the detriment of what it should have been doing....

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:20 am

and round here youd best change the prospective we have for a dead dog.....because I certainly wont vote for him....

I sent an email to him....I took 3 1/2 months to get a reply...pfffft...its clear what HE thinks of his constituents....

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:23 am

Well, the Town Council runs the water meadows, the cows graze on the water meadows all summer so we deal with the owners of the cattle, there are a lot of them, and we were the ones who supported the butcher who was got at for having game in his window. He's had to close now for personal reasons, but he had a team that went out shooting for him. When Londoners said that the game in his window was frightening kids, we were the ones that stood up and said 'sod off' lol.

It's a very rural area and our members represent those areas, so they have to be involved.

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:23 am

victorismyhero wrote:and round here youd best change the prospective we have for a dead dog.....because I certainly wont vote for him....

I sent an email to him....I took 3 1/2 months to get a reply...pfffft...its clear what HE thinks of his constituents....

pm me his name, will pass it through.

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:27 am

very good sass...but thats just "your" lot....in one small area....

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:30 am

But we link up with lots of areas, most of East Anglia, and as most of it is rural, we talk about the same things and support the same things. No, we don't want fox hunting, but there neither do our constituents. And we have asked them believe me.

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:32 am

neither do I....

BUT nor do I want harmans dream of £200 a year for my gun licence

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:34 am

anyways...I is off to me pit.....

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:36 am

Don't blame you, I'd say think I'll join you but it would be taken the wrong way lol.

Night Victor.

by veya_victaous Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:57 am

yeah Victor still pretty xenophobic, the cost of running the translation service nationally, which creates jobs Plus creates a reason to multilingual which is potentially valuable to tourism industry and business in general, is tiny and could be covered by ending one of the many rorts currently available to politicians and their mates Rolling Eyes

the UK is not in the position to make the rules we are all becoming a global community, and the UK speaks the most archaic version of English on the planet, keep in mind it is not UK English that is the international language of business. Should the UK business be derided for spelling colour with a U? technically it is wrong if you are producing English for an international audience Wink

by Raggamuffin Tue Jul 21, 2015 8:21 am

victorismyhero wrote:advice for your Labour party comrades....

keep your nose OUT of rural affairs and concentrate on what you get elected for....running the country ......

You mean "rural matters" like hunting with dogs? These "country" people seem to think they own the wildlife.

by Raggamuffin Tue Jul 21, 2015 10:25 am

Universal services aimed at all Britons, rather than just the most needy, have also suffered. Councils have ended, or reduced the frequency of, some household waste collections, with bulky household goods collections being cut by more than a quarter in three years.

That's not much of a hardship is it? It's maybe slightly irritating, but hey ...

Bulky household goods? Now there's a gap in the market if people can't get them taken away.

by Raggamuffin Tue Jul 21, 2015 10:50 am

Doesn't the Welfare Bill include this "living wage" thing? That's a good thing isn't it?

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 11:32 pm

veya_victaous wrote:yeah Victor still pretty xenophobic, the cost of running the translation service nationally, which creates jobs Plus creates a reason to multilingual which is potentially valuable to tourism industry and business in general, is tiny and could be covered by ending one of the many rorts currently available to politicians and their mates

the UK is not in the position to make the rules we are all becoming a global community, and the UK speaks the most archaic version of English on the planet, keep in mind it is not UK English that is the international language of business. Should the UK business be derided for spelling colour with a U? technically it is wrong if you are producing English for an international audience

Point one...if I go abroad...i'm expected to pay for a translator if needed, indeed some coutries dont even provide them for legal proceedings.

Point two I'd charge Aussies double...purely for their mangling of the language...(oh and introducing barbies and fosters)

by Guest Tue Jul 21, 2015 11:36 pm

Raggamuffin wrote:
victorismyhero wrote:advice for your Labour party comrades....

keep your nose OUT of rural affairs and concentrate on what you get elected for....running the country ......

You mean "rural matters" like hunting with dogs? These "country" people seem to think they own the wildlife.

at least us "country" people have GOT some wildlife

as opposed to the towns ....full of vermin ...(crows etc, GREY squirrels(aka tree rats) and "urban foxes") and very little of anything "nice" sky larks, grey wagtails, owls raptors etc...etc

(and thats just the wildlife vermin Laughing

)

by veya_victaous Wed Jul 22, 2015 12:49 am

@victor
Oh yeah i forgot the UK like to compare itself to 3rd world nations not other OECDs Rolling Eyes

poor excuse and you know it, compare yourself to equals not the bottom tongue

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