Maintaining performance
The 15 strongest performing councils in adult social care have been highlighted in IMPOWER’s latest productivity INDEX. Ralph Cook looks at the results.
Outdated regulations forcing councils to use 'harsh' debt collection processes
25/02/2020 Forcing people to pay off their entire council tax bill if they miss one payment is pushing people into 'desperate' hardship, a charity has warned today. |
Councils face £19bn funding gap by 2025
21/02/2020 Councils will face a funding shortfall of £19.1bn over the next five years despite planning council tax increases, new research has shown. |
Government announces financial support for flood-hit areas
19/02/2020 The Government has announced councils in areas affected by recent flooding will receive grants to cover the cost of council tax and business rates reliefs. |
Councils warn about 'hidden cuts' in Scottish Budget
06/02/2020 Council leaders have complained about ‘hidden cuts’ in a Scottish Budget that will deliver £11.3bn for council services in 2020/21. |
Cuts force most councils to increase council tax and charges
05/02/2020 The majority of councils are planning on raising council tax and charging for services in 2020/21 in order to make ends meet, new research has revealed. |
Borough seeking unitary status sparks spending row
03/02/2020 A row over council spending has broken out between a county council and a borough authority that is seeking unitary status. |
Pay dispute threatens to ‘disrupt’ council tax collection
24/01/2020 Newham council faces ‘significant disruption’ to council tax collection and rebates when staff stage a week-long strike in a job evaluation row. |
Jenrick hails 'biggest multi-billion pound spending increase in a decade'
20/12/2019 Local government secretary Robert Jenrick has confirmed what he describes as the ‘biggest multi-billion pound spending increase for councils in a decade’. |
Councils detecting more cases of fraud
19/11/2019 Councils prevented 22% more cases of council tax fraud this year compared to 2017/18, new figures have revealed. |
Caerphilly council agrees 7% council tax hike
14/11/2019 A county council in Wales has agreed a package of savings proposals which include a council tax increase of nearly 7%. |
Charity blasts ‘broken’ debt collection system
13/11/2019 Local authorities have been criticised for using bailiffs to collect unpaid council tax from struggling households. |
Councils need billions more in funding, research finds
10/11/2019 Councils will need billions of extra pounds worth of funding in the next parliament, if they are to meet the rising cost of adult social care, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has calculated. |
Medway trials new way of collecting council tax
01/11/2019 A leading councillor has hailed a trial scheme to deduct council tax directly from earnings as a way to target people who ignore reminder letters and refuse to pay. |
Millions struggling to pay council tax and household bills, study finds
08/10/2019 Nearly 1.6 million people are falling behind on their council tax payments, new research has revealed. |
County council chiefs urge PM to ‘level up’ funding across country
19/08/2019 More than 30 leaders of England’s county councils have called on the new Government to ‘level up’ investment in all parts of the country. |
Forced into aggressive debt collection?
08/07/2019 With more households falling behind in council tax payments, are councils becoming too aggressive in the way they collect arrears? Neil Merrick investigates. |
The rise of the ‘super’ parish council
26/06/2019 With figures showing parish precepts have risen by 4.9% this year, Neil Merrick explores how parish councils are using the extra revenue to deliver increased and better services. |
Councils warn of new wave in council tax scams
10/06/2019 Criminals are posing as council staff to con people out of money, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
Labour considers abolishing council tax for renters
04/06/2019 Labour Party is considering proposals to replace council tax with a ‘progressive property tax’, which would be payable by property owners rather than tenants. |
Council tax is ‘regressive’, financial experts say
28/05/2019 Council tax hits the poorest residents much harder than it does the wealthiest, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. |
Council tax guide published to protect ‘vulnerable’
28/05/2019 The Government has published a council tax guide to help protect ‘vulnerable households’. |
Council tax system needs 'fundamental reform'
16/05/2019 The council tax system is ‘highly regressive and unsustainable,’ and needs ‘fundamental reform,’ progressive think-tank IPPR has argued. |
‘Smart bins’ and tax cuts could help increase recycling rates, report says
13/05/2019 Local authorities could use ‘smart bins’ and council tax cuts to help drive up recycling rates in their areas, a new study has recommended. |
Amount of unpaid council tax rises to £3bn
26/04/2019 The total amount of unpaid council tax has risen to more than £3bn, according to the latest figures. |
Whitehall pledges to end aggressive council tax debt collection
11/04/2019 The way local authorities recover unpaid council tax is to be reviewed by the Government in a bid to protect vulnerable residents from aggressive debt collection. |
Wales champions council tax discounts for mentally impaired
10/04/2019 A new initiative will make it easier for people with a severe mental impairment to receive a council tax discount. |
Welsh government reforms council tax to make it ‘fairer’
01/04/2019 The Welsh government has introduced legislation which removes the power to imprison people for not paying their council tax. |
Councils defend council tax hikes
27/03/2019 Councils have had ‘little choice’ but to raise council tax to protect local services, the Local Government Association has said, after the latest tax rises were revealed. |
Welsh households to face biggest council tax rise in 15 years
14/03/2019 Council tax bills are set to increase by an average of 6.5% across Wales - the largest rise in 15 years - according to new figures. |
Council tax rises will not fix ‘chronically underfunded’ care system
06/03/2019 Increases in council tax will fail to fix the ‘chronically underfunded’ social care system, local authority leaders have warned. |
Council tax bills to increase by an average of 4.5%
05/03/2019 Council tax bills are set to rise by 4.5% in England from April, the second highest increase in the last decade. |
Early intervention key to helping those at risk of falling into debt, says report
01/03/2019 Councils in Wales are being urged by a think tank to do more to support those at risk of falling into debt given the large council tax increases on the horizon. |
Council's projected overspend more than doubles
25/02/2019 Highland Council has warned of a £5.5m overspend this year, more than double the amount previously predicted. |
Northamptonshire approves 4.99% council tax rise
22/02/2019 Northamptonshire County Council has taken advantage of special freedom to increase council tax by 4.99% without needing to hold a referendum. |
Nearly all English councils to increase council tax
14/02/2019 Most councils plan on increasing council tax this year while slashing frontline services due to Government cuts, survey reveals. |
Northamptonshire given permission for extra council tax increase
29/01/2019 Northamptonshire County Council has been given the freedom to increase council tax by 2% more than other local authorities without holding a referendum, it was announced today. |
Cuts to council tax support have created ‘sizeable’ increase in arrears
29/01/2019 Cuts to council tax support (CTS) have led to a surge in unpaid tax, new research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies has revealed. |
‘Tweaking’ wealth taxes could raise £7bn a year, think tank says
03/01/2019 Reforming Britain’s wealth taxes could help the Government raise £7bn a year by 2022-23 to help cover the cost of public services, a think tank has argued. |
Council revenues unlikely to ‘keep pace’ with demand on services
20/12/2018 Revenues from business rates and council tax will not keep pace with rising costs and demands for services, financial experts have warned. |
Finance settlement: Government floats commercialisation crackdown
13/12/2018 Whitehall is considering a crackdown on councils that excessively borrow for commercial reasons as it continues to restrict council tax rises. |
Councils welcome £13m financial package in Wales
21/11/2018 Local government leaders in Wales have welcomed the latest figures put forward by the Cardiff administration for next year's budgets – but warned there could still be further cuts to services or rises in council tax. |
Council signs £65m deal with Capita
08/11/2018 Westminster City Council has renewed its contract with Capita in a deal worth around £65m over a decade. |
Calls to increase council funding in Scotland by 2.5%
05/11/2018 Councils in Scotland are pressing for a 2.5% increase in local government funding, saying they have no options left to save money. |
Threat of prison over unpaid council tax ends in Wales
05/11/2018 People will no longer be sent to prison for failing to pay their council tax, the Welsh government has announced. |
Experts call for an end to imprisonment for council tax debt
17/10/2018 English councils are being urged to end the use of imprisonment for the non-payment of council tax. |
Healey unveils council tax levy on holiday homes
24/09/2018 Labour would double council tax on second homes to help families living in temporary accommodation, shadow housing secretary John Healey is expected to announce later today. |
Households owe £18.9bn on everyday bills
21/08/2018 Households owe nearly £19bn on essential bills such as council tax and utilities, Citizens Advice has warned today. |
Haringey to reform council tax support
17/08/2018 Haringey LBC could invest £1.6m in 2019/20 to allow some of its poorest residents to not pay council tax. |
MPs accuse councils of ‘overzealous’ debt collection
26/07/2018 The overzealous and uncompromising collection of debt by local councils is driving vulnerable people into further financial difficulty, MPs have warned today. |
Care leavers exempt from paying council tax in Manchester
26/07/2018 Manchester City Council has announced care leavers will be exempt from paying council tax until they are 25. |
Councils given power to increase taxation on empty homes
19/07/2018 Councils will be allowed to triple the council tax on homes left empty for five to 10 years, following an amendment to a government bill. |
Councils call for tax increases on empty homes
18/07/2018 Council leaders have called for the power to double the amount of council tax on homes that have been left empty between two and five years. |
Rise in children's services spending
28/06/2018 The amount expected to be spent on children’s social care in 2018/19 is up 6.8% or £542m compared to the figure in 2017/18 budgets, latest figures have shown. |
MPs say levy for over 40s could fund free social care
26/06/2018 People aged over 40 should pay a dedicated social care premium to fund free care in the future, MPs have said. |
Public 'willing' to pay more tax for certain services
25/06/2018 Most people would be prepared to pay more in council tax or one-off voluntary levies to fund particular local services, a new poll has revealed today. |
Future of social care precept looks 'very bleak' from 2019 warns Care England
11/06/2018 A third of English councils will be unable to raise enough money through the social care precept to pay for the services they are meant to cover, according to new research. |
Parish councils and the devolution of services
06/06/2018 Neil Merrick finds out why some parish councils are doubling or trebling council tax precepts after taking on services from higher tier authorities. |
Local elections 2018: Decision time on local services
18/04/2018 What issues will the main political parties be focusing on in the upcoming local elections? Mark Whitehead investigates. |
Parish and town councils welcome ‘fair funding’ letter
13/04/2018 The Government has written to billing authorities urging then to reconsider passing local council tax support on to parish and town councils. |
Councils plan largest council tax rise in 13 years
28/03/2018 Council Tax levels will increase by an average of 5.1% across England in 2018/19, the largest rise for 13 years, ministers have confirmed. |
Councils given power to double council tax on empty homes
28/03/2018 Councils will be allowed to double the rate of council tax on long-term empty properties under new legislation announced today. |
IFS implores action over growing social care funding chasm
20/03/2018 The Government will need to scrap its funding reforms, significantly boost top-ups or centralise care if it is to plug the social care funding gap, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned today. |
Scrap 'outdated and regressive council tax, says think tank
20/03/2018 Council tax is ‘outdated and regressive’, and the Government should consider scrapping it in favour of a fairer system, according to a think tank. |
Council approves 12.5% council tax rise
09/03/2018 Pembrokeshire County Council has agreed to increase council tax by 12.5% for 2018/19. |
Scottish households on low income ‘missing out’ on tax exemption
05/03/2018 Fewer than 4% of Scottish households eligible for council tax exemption are claiming the new benefit, research reveals. |
Council tax set for biggest rise in 14 years, figures show
01/03/2018 Council tax payers face the sharpest rise in their taxes for 14 years, according to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy figures (CIPFA). |
Council tax increases not enough to stop cuts to services, warn town hall chiefs
26/02/2018 Services will continue to be cut back despite proposed council tax increases, council chiefs warn. |
Developers sitting on more than 420,000 homes with planning permission
16/02/2018 The backlog of homes that have been given planning permission but are still waiting to be built has increased by almost 16% in the last year, new analysis has revealed today. |
Charitable giving, the Westminster way
12/02/2018 Will a voluntary tax from the wealthiest residents in Westminster succeed in generating extra funding for services? Mark Whitehead reports. |
Westminster council proposes ‘voluntary’ council tax scheme
12/02/2018 Westminster council is proposing to freeze council tax and replace it with a voluntary contribution after a consultation found ‘strong support’ for the idea. |
Fraudster jailed over £45k council tax scam
02/02/2018 A man who used forged university documentation to scam eight local authorities out of £45,000 in council tax has been jailed for 18 months. |
Welsh council proposes 12.5% council tax hike
01/02/2018 Pembrokeshire County Council has proposed increasing council tax by 12.5% as part of an effort to close a multi-million pound funding gap. |
Council tax: a timely reminder
01/02/2018 With maximum council tax increases plugging less than a quarter of the funding gap facing local government, what does this mean for the future of public services? Mark Whitehead reports. |
Local council tax support scheme delayed until March
26/01/2018 The deadline for when councils are required to have a local council tax support scheme in place will be pushed back two months, according to the minister for local government. |
Most counties to increase council tax by extra 1%
25/01/2018 County council leaders have warned that the government's decision to allow them to raise council tax by 1% will only offset a tenth of the amount already being cut from their budgets. |
Council tax is a regressive tax - it's time to do something
18/01/2018 With a tax based on 1991 property values, the decks are firmly stacked against a sector that is already facing a cliff edge in 2020, writes Jo Miller. |
Districts call for council tax limit increase
16/01/2018 Districts have called for the council tax cap to be increased so they can raise an extra £9m. |
Council tax has risen by 57% in past 20 years, research shows
15/01/2018 Local authorities have been urged to curb council tax increases after new research found rates have risen by 57% over the past 20 years. |
Many councils remain at a tipping point
12/01/2018 Lord Porter looks back to the provisional finance settlement and ahead to the major financial challenges of the new year. |
London mayor to increase council tax
21/12/2017 Sadiq Khan today announced proposals to increase his share of council tax from April 2018 by an average of 27p a week in order to fund emergency services. |
Yorkshire Dales to hike council tax on second homes 500%
20/12/2017 The Yorkshire Dales authority is cracking down on second home ownership with a ‘radical’ proposal to increase council tax 500% for these properties. |
Welsh council first to offer care leavers council tax relief
20/12/2017 Rhondda Cynon Taf has become the first Welsh council to agree to a council tax exemption for care leavers up to the age of 25. |
Scots Budget reveals plan to increase income tax bands
14/12/2017 The Scottish Government has unveiled a draft budget which raises income tax in a bid to raise an extra £164m to pay for public services. |
Councils urged to drop prison threats for council tax debts
28/11/2017 Money advice experts call for change in law to protect people from being locked up for council tax debts. |
London borough to stop using bailiffs to chase debt
23/11/2017 Bailiffs will no longer be used to collect council tax debt under a new joint venture launched by Hammersmith & Fulham Council. |
Budget 2017: Housing Revenue Account cap lifted for some
22/11/2017 The Housing Revenue Account cap will be lifted for councils in ‘high-demand areas’ and stamp duty will be scrapped for most first-time buyers, chancellor Philip Hammond announced in his Budget speech today. |
Warnings that 60% of council tax to be spent on social care by 2020
10/11/2017 Town hall chiefs have warned that by 2020, nearly 60p in every £1 of council tax will be spend on caring for adults and children by 2020, putting considerable strain on other services. |
County funding black hole set to treble to £2.5bn by 2021
19/10/2017 An ‘extreme’ rise in demand on county authorities will treble their funding black hole to over £2.5bn in the next four years, county leaders reveal. |
Counter-fraud pilot successful
18/10/2017 Councils are encouraged to sign up to a joint counter-fraud initiative with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) investigators after a ‘successful pilot stage’. |
Newcastle signs up to Council Tax Protocol
03/10/2017 Newcastle has become the latest council to sign up to a new protocol to help people struggling with council tax debts. |
Council plans to launch country's first voluntary 'mansion tax'
02/10/2017 A voluntary 'mansion tax' on properties worth more than £10m is being considered by Westminster City Council. |
Most vulnerable missing out on council tax discount, investigation reveals
29/09/2017 Two-thirds of councils are giving vulnerable people incorrect information about council tax discounts, an investigation has revealed. |
Councils call for 2% health precept to invest in prevention
25/09/2017 District councils have called for introduction of a new health precept on council tax in order to raise £25m for preventative measures. |
Councils to boost revenues collection with real-time intelligence
14/09/2017 Find out why authorities are investing in innovative new technology that provides up to date intelligence that sits alongside their own data, helping them make more informed decisions on recovery and forecasting. |
Making life easier for care leavers
13/09/2017 Local authorities have been urged to make care leavers exempt from paying council tax until the age of 25. Tom Redfearn explains why. |
Khan calls for council tax increases on empty homes
05/09/2017 London boroughs should have the power to increase the council tax on expensive homes that are left empty, according to calls from Sadiq Khan. |
London council closes council tax ‘loophole’
31/08/2017 A London borough has closed a council tax ‘loophole’ which meant thousands of landlords were not paying tax over the summer period. |
One in seven believe they’ll be exempt from council tax after retirement, survey reveals
26/07/2017 Many people facing retirement have unrealistic expectations of the discounts and subsidies they will be entitled to, according insurance company Aviva. |
Porter: Abolish council tax referendums
04/07/2017 Referendums on council tax limits should be abolished in order to secure the financial sustainability of councils, Lord Porter will argue later today. |
Tories claim 'Garden Tax' could affect 10 million homeowners
05/06/2017 Labour’s proposed Property and Garden Tax could increase the average council tax bill by 224%, the Conservatives have warned. |
This issue of Public Property examines how public sector organisations can unlock the hidden value in their land, and why a new approach to construction could help boost the outcomes of the Government’s One Public Estate programme.
The December issue also considers why learnings from ancient cities could provide the key to promoting wellbeing in the modern built environment. It also contains a case study on how the London Borough of Westminster has provided high quality care for the elderly alongside a block of luxury apartments.
