Council tax rises ‘fail to stop care cuts’
This is bad news for rural authorities who have proportionately the highest number of elderly people in need of this type of support. The story tells us:
Care services are facing cuts this year as rises in council tax have failed to plug the gaps in budgets in England, town hall chiefs are warning.
The government allowed councils to increase council tax by 2% this year to spend on care – and most have done so.
But, according to a survey of all 151 social care directors, there is still a shortfall of nearly £1bn.
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said councils had no option but to reduce the services.
Directors in charge of care for older people and adults with disabilities indicated in the annual survey only about half of this shortfall could be met by efficiency savings.