Liverpool City Council 'to protect most vulnerable' as axe falls on key services

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Local Government and also in Communities, Housing

Council tax bills in Liverpool are to rise 1.8% in 2013-14 to raise an additional £2 million and help the local authority set up a £400,000 hardship fund to reduce the impact of the Government's welfare reforms.

Amid protests, Labour-controlled Liverpool City Council last night approved savings of £32 million to its budget, on top of £141 million already delivered over the last two years.

Among the housing-related cuts the city faces are the withdrawal of part-funding for sheltered housing wardens with housing associations asked to fund the shortfall, to save £1 million and the possible closure of two homeless hostels, at Geneva Road and Aigburth Drive, in order to save £150,000 per year.

The council says it is also considering the introduction of charges for community alarms at sheltered housing, saving £449,000 per year.

The hardship fund will be administered by the Mayor’s Action Group on Fairness and Tackling Poverty.

Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson (pictured) said: “This has been a very tough process in which we have had to make some extremely difficult and hard choices in order to balance the books for the next financial year, but also to prepare for the following year.

“In previous years we have been able to make many of the savings by reducing back office functions, and halving the senior management team. We are now at the stage where those options have gone, and we are having to prioritise one front line service over another.

“I will never take lightly any decision to cut any service. But we have a responsibility to protect our most vulnerable residents and I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure the survival of services which people rely on so heavily.

“It may mean people travelling further to get to one of our libraries. Or paying more to use a golf course. But I hope fair minded people will understand this is preferable to leaving the most vulnerable people without support.”

“I completely understand that some people will be extremely unhappy – I am too. But the simple fact is that we get 80 percent of our funding from the government, and the cut in our grant means we are the hardest hit city in the country.

“I have also been determined to find a way to make sure we support our young people, and that is why we have earmarked a substantial pot of money to spend on developing facilities.”

Some of the most difficult changes are only taking effect from 2014/15 to give time for consultation, to ensure they are implemented in the fairest possible way, and to give partners/providers sufficient time to adjust.

Proposals that have been rejected include introducing charges for bulky household waste, withdrawing funding for a domestic violence accommodation unit and reducing funded childcare places.

Deputy Mayor and Cabinet member for Finance, Councillor Paul Brant, said: “This has been an exceptionally difficult budget to set as once again, despite Liverpool being recognised as having the most need of any area in the country, we have had to face the highest level of cuts.

“We are doing our very best to mitigate the impact and do it as fairly and equitably as possible, but it is simply wrong that people in the poorest city in the country should have to shoulder cuts amounting to £252 per household when the national average is £60.”

Overall the council is facing a reduction of £290 million from 2011-17 – which includes £46 million in 2014/15, £35 million in 2015/16 and £36m in 2016/17.

Protestors and police clashed outside Liverpool Town Hall last night as the council approved the budget.