Liverpool City Council has announced it will make £90m in budget cuts over the next three years resulting in hundreds of job losses.
The council said this is the result of cuts in central Government funding which amount to £420m since 2010 - equivalent to a 68% reduction in funding.
A spokesperson for the council confirmed the cuts proposed in the city’s budget will lead to 300 jobs being lost.
Savings of £4.1m will be made in children services by reducing the cost of care placements and packages, and increasing the number of in-house foster carers.
The city council has, however, assured residents they have taken steps to protect adult and children’s social care as much as possible. They account for less than 8% of the overall savings proposed.
Liverpool will review One Stop Shops to save £2.7m and cut contact centre opening times to save £2.9m.
They will also reduce the cost of inward investment agency Liverpool Vision by £1.2m and review the libraries service next year to save £1.6m.
‘I have always been clear that my priorities are to protect the most vulnerable in the city and help grow the economy and this budget is aimed at meeting those aims,’ said Mayor Joe Anderson.
‘Despite all of the cuts we have faced so far, we’ve continued to spend £12m a year on homeless services and £2.5m on crisis payments for the most vulnerable to help those in crisis pay their rent and council tax.
‘There is no doubt that some frontline council services will be significantly reduced and we will have less staff by 2020.’
‘These are not things that we want to do, but we have no choice, because the Government isn’t listening and as the majority of people who responded to the budget consultation said they wouldn’t support a one-off 10% rise in council tax,’ he added.
The council is setting aside £13m in reserves in 2017/18 which will be drawn down in 2018/19 and 2019/20 to reduce the impact of cuts in future years.
