Salford City Council has shared proposals to cut another £13 million in its budget for 2019/20.
Cumulative cuts since 2010 now stand at £211 million, with a 53% reduction in government funding since the beginning of austerity measures.
At the same time pressure on adult’s and children’s social care continue to increase and housing need spirals. The rate of looked-after children nationally is at a 25-year high.
The proposals which will be discussed on the 27th February will see a proposed council tax increase of 2.99% and the final year increase of 1% in the adult social care precept, which was introduced back in 2017/18 by the government to deal with adult social care pressures in the absence of the long awaited green paper to deal with these budget challenges faced by councils up-and-down the country.
The council is also proposing an increase in the cost of school dinners of 10p as well as Increasing charges in areas such as land charges and ending long term health contracts where the work can be done by other services
City Mayor Paul Dennett said “We have been clear that we want to protect frontline services, and maintain levels of social care and support to those in most need.
“This inevitably now comes at the expense of other services
“It is clear that government imposed austerity is not over and has no intention of ending anytime soon despite government claims. On the ground we are trying our best in heartbreaking circumstances to manage depleted budgets and making difficult decisions on further cuts. Nationally and locally, the resource we have are being significantly outstripped by steadily rising demand for social care.
“Once again the message has been sent out that in the absence of additional funding, councils are forced to prop up services with council tax increases, which we all know are regressive forms of taxation, forcing those with the least personal and household income to pay more as a proportion of what they earn.”
