William Eichler 06 March 2019

Council tax rises will not fix ‘chronically underfunded’ care system

Council tax increases will fail to fix the ‘chronically underfunded’ social care system, local authority leaders have warned.

All councils are able to raise council tax by up to 2.99% in 2019/20 to fund local services without the need for a referendum. Some are also able to levy an extra social care precept of up to 2% on top of this.

Research from the Local Government Association has found that 83 of England’s social care authorities are considering or have approved an adult social care precept in 2019/20 with 38 using the full 2% precept.

The adult social care precept rises will raise an extra £197m in total to pay for adult social care services this year which, the LGA calculates, would not even cover the £290m cost of paying for the increase in the National Living Wage.

The LGA has estimated that even if all councils used their council tax flexibilities to the maximum allowed, adult social care services would still face a funding gap of at least £1bn in 2019/20, just to maintain existing standards of care. This figure will rise to £3.6bn by 2025.

‘Extra council tax income for adult social care has been helpful in recent years. For many that option has run out this year and the extra money the rest will raise will do little to prevent those who rely on services seeing the quality and quantity reduce,’ said Cllr Richard Watts, chair of the LGA’s Resources Board.

‘Raising council tax has never been the answer to fixing our chronically underfunded social care system. It has raised different amounts of money in different parts of the country, unrelated to need, and risked adding an extra financial burden on households.’

According to the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), council tax bills are set to rise by 4.5% in England from April—the second highest increase in the last decade.

The £37,000 SEND Problem image

The £37,000 SEND Problem

Natalie Kenneison, COO at Imosphere, argues that the real SEND funding crisis isn’t just about budgets - it’s about the systems behind the decisions.
SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Makaton Tutor - Part Time / Term Time

Essex County Council
£25821.00 - £30377.00 per annum + + Pension
Makaton Tutor - Part Time / Term TimePermanent, Part Time£30,377 per annum, full time equivalent / equal to £15.74 per hour.Location
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Assistant Urban Design Intern

Essex County Council
Up to £25081.00 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
Assistant Urban Design InternFixed Term, Full Time£25,081 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Wellbeing and Independence Practitioner - Safeguarding Team

Essex County Council
£31931.00 - £36423.00 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
Wellbeing and Independence Practitioner - ASC Centralised Safeguarding TeamFixed Term, Full Time£31,931 to £36,423 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Financial Strategy Manager (Revenue)

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council
Negotiable
Bring clarity to complex decisions and help shape how we invest in our borough's future.Bring clarity to complex decisions and help shape how we inves England, London
Recuriter: The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council

Team Manager - Locality

Wakefield Council
£55,979.00, Grade 13
Wakefield Children’s Services have been rated by Ofsted as GOOD with outstanding leadership. Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council
Linkedin Banner