Budget cuts considered for year ahead

[Old Cruser]

Flipping heck the list is endless for the possible cuts we may have, sobering reading!!


http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/council/news_events/news-updates/2014/january/budget_cuts_considered_for_year_ahead.asp

[Old Cruser]

This will have a major effect on the sick and disabled who are already being battered by the work capability assessment and the bedroom tax.


The four major money-saving proposals which will be consulted on are:

Proposals to change who qualifies for council care and support by raising the eligibility threshold from 'higher moderate' to 'substantial' level − this would mean that only people who have been assessed as having substantial needs or above would be eligible to receive on-going support from us in the future
Proposals to change the financial contribution people make towards their care and support − which would mean people would have to pay more for the adult social care services they receive through us
Proposals to reduce the housing-related support budget by £9 million over two years − this would affect a wide range of groups including older people, people with mental health problems, people with learning disabilities, homeless people and people at risk of domestic abuse
Proposals to introduce a transport policy covering our adult care services which would mean changes to the way transport is provided or arranged by us to travel to day care services and other activities, and the introduction of a flat rate charge.
At today's meeting, the our Cabinet also agreed two proposals which could help to mitigate some of the effects of the cuts and service changes for some groups of people.

The first proposal is to use just over £675,000 in 2014/15 from a newly created Public Health Resource Fund to continue to fund certain voluntary sector services, including services for people at risk of domestic abuse, substance misuse services and befriending services, while alternative funding is sought. These services could have been facing proposed cuts in the next financial year without this funding.

A second proposal is a pilot scheme which will allow people to buy extra home and day care services in addition to what they already receive following an assessment. The scheme would also allow people who no longer qualify for care following an assessment to buy care from us privately.

[simondjuk]

I cant really comment of Derbyshire as i dont really know too much about it.

However, if its as bad as Sheffield, there cant be much more to cut.

[Old Cruser]

That's true Simon and the social workers are voting with their feet here as their job gets more stressful

[Slacker]

From a jobs point of view it doesn't look bad in the department I work for as there are far more people wanting redundancy or early retirement than they are looking to cut

[simondjuk]

and on the other side of the coin the higher management will all be in line for a bonus for saving money.

[Slacker]

No bonuses in local government! Some may get an increase if 2 posts are merged giving them extra responsibility but a saving overall.

[therealjr]

He's right they don't have bonuses. They given them the posh name of ex gratia payments!!!

[Pete]

Let’s not forget why the council is doing this - the Tory-led government have cut £157 million pounds from the council budget, (maybe more) leaving the current, Labour-led council, to actually do the cutting.

I think that Labour only got control of the council last year - it was a Tory-led council before that. So if you look at some of the ludicrous details of what they are cutting, the Labour council inherited them when they got in.

So the man in the street thinks it’s the Labour council that’s responsible.

[Old Cruser]

All part of the money saving budget is of course the council tax rise of maybe 1.99%

The D.T reports that the meeting to agree this increase may now be held up as the council are still waiting for gov guidence to determine whether a referendum will be needed before this increase can be done.

If the decision triggered a referendum it would cost £1 million which Ann Western says would be wasting money

[Old Cruser]

1.99% council tax rise approved
6 February 2014

We have agreed to increase our share of council tax by 1.99% to help deal with a £157m shortfall in our budget by 2018.


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Reductions in Government grants, inflation and greater demands on areas of the budget for adult social care and vulnerable children mean we are facing unprecedented budget pressures.

In 2014-15, we must save £36.7m and at a meeting yesterday (Wednesday 5 February) councillors voted to:

Set our annual budget for 2014-15 at £515.5 million
generate £5 million by asking residents to pay an extra 1.99% in council tax.
It follows a public consultation carried out across Derbyshire last year asking residents whether they would prefer the county council to freeze council tax at the current rate or raise it between 1% up to 5%.

Of the 2,814 responses, 58% said they would support an increase of 2% or more.

The 1.99% rise will mean an increase of £21.49 a year − or 41p a week − for a Band D property and £16.71 a year − or 32p a week − for a Band B property. Most homes in Derbyshire are Band A or B.

1.99% council tax rise approved

Dig a bit deeper in those pockets folks



Increasing council tax is the last thing we want to do. We know residents are struggling to make ends meet and we've done our best to keep council tax just below the rate of inflation.

"Freezing council tax this year would only make next year more painful because we've got to make cuts every year for the next five years.

"We're putting our own house in order to make savings by scrutinising spending, reviewing senior management and selling off redundant land and buildings, but it's not enough to meet the £157m shortfall arising from Government cuts."