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17 Dec 2018

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Education (local), Inequality, Poverty, Universal Credit

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“Dickensian’ poverty increasingly prevalent in schools”

“Increasing levels of child poverty are affecting children and young people’s education, with schools dealing with ‘Dickensian’ levels of squalor, a major teaching union has warned.

A survey of members by the National Education Union found more than half (53%) believe children in their school will go hungry over Christmas, putting the blame on welfare cuts as well as those to schools and children’s services.

The poll of 1,026 NEU teachers in England revealed that 46% believe holiday hunger – a lack of access to food in the absence of free school meals – has got worse in the last three years.

The NEU’s report, published today, highlighted the “stark” impact of poverty on children’s education. Poverty-related problems include: absence from school (83%); behavioural issues (85%); concentration (81%); health (59%); and lateness (79%).

The survey heard from teachers who were buying or washing clothes for students who could not afford them. Some teachers said their students had been sleeping in their school uniforms because they don’t have pyjamas, and other children had food delivered to their home by the school.

Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “This is a Dickensian picture of the poverty that far too many children and their families are having to endure.

“The government has failed to recognise the human cost of its cuts to schools and other children’s services and to the social security system, and its failure to address the in-work poverty faced by one in five workers.

“The government must stop hiding from the facts. Children can’t escape the poverty trap without an urgent change to national policies.”

The poll also found 46% of teachers believe that poor quality and overcrowded housing conditions are affecting the education of children and young people more than they were.

Many schools are now offering free breakfast clubs for children and also running foodbanks, giving hampers to families and providing meals during the holidays, the survey found.

But union members said that school funding cuts were restricting the help that can be given.

A government spokesperson said: “Teachers shouldn’t have to step in to tackle the issues highlighted by this survey, and we’re already taking action to make sure that they don’t have to.”

https://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2018/12/dickensian-poverty-increasingly-prevalent-schools

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East Devon Watch

Posted on

17 Dec 2018

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Poverty, Universal Credit

“Food bank opens AT SCHOOL after famished children start stealing from lunchboxes”

“A primary school has set up a food bank for hungry kids whose parents are struggling under austerity.

Head Debbie Whiting launched it after seeing pupils so famished they were stealing from other children’s packed lunches.

“You can’t learn if you’re hungry,” she said. “Children need to be fed, clothed and warm.”

The food bank at North Denes juniors in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, is thought to be the first at a British school.

Staff and some parents donate extra items from their shopping and a charity has given £1,500.

Mum Sadie Carter, who has two children at the school, said she fell to “rock bottom” after running out of money and was “crying for days”.

She said: “I didn’t know what to do. Then the school came to help.” ….

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/food-bank-primary-school-hungry-13741828

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East Devon Watch

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16 Dec 2018

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Police (local)

Top police chiefs cream off cash

“Police chiefs are enjoying a pay and pensions bonanza as council tax is hiked to give their forces an extra £1billion, a Daily Mail investigation reveals today.

Almost two thirds of chief constables from the 39 English police forces earned more than the Prime Minister’s annual pay of £150,402 last year.

They also received an additional total of at least £1.37million in pension contributions in the last two years – with some getting more than £40,000 a year.

This is despite only half receiving a contribution last year, with many of the others’ pension pots thought to have reached the maximum threshold. ”

Tens of thousands of pounds more of public money was also spent on private healthcare, housing and car allowances for senior officers – with one police chief’s package worth nearly £300,000. …..

Police pension schemes include a taxpayer-funded employer contribution of 21.3 per cent of their pay, on top of an officer’s contribution. Ian Hopkins, chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, who has received £92,000 pension contributions over the past two years – as well as a £200,000 salary – claimed the squeeze would force him to cut his officer numbers to the lowest level since 1975. …..

A Home Office spokesman said: ‘It is for the independent Police Remuneration Review Body to consider the appropriate levels of police pay and make recommendations to ministers.’”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6498233/Police-chiefs-enjoy-pay-pensions-bonanza-council-tax-bills-rise.html

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East Devon Watch

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15 Dec 2018

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Austerity cuts, Economy, Housing (local), Inequality, Poverty

Positive ageing

“At the Centre for Ageing Better, we often say that the UK is experiencing a social revolution. People now live much longer than their parents and grandparents did. A child born today has a one in three chance of living to the age of 100 – the advances we’ve seen in longevity are truly incredible.

The problem is, when we talk about the ‘challenges’ of an ageing population, we make it easy to fall in to the trap of focusing on just the problems – such as rising pension and health care costs – and forgetting about the immense opportunity of living longer lives.

For me, it’s important to remember that people in later life contribute massively to the economy – in the UK, there are over 10m over-50s in the workplace. The gross income of households with an individual aged 50+ amounted to 47% of total UK household income in 2014/15. Older people also contribute hugely to society; one in five people aged 50–64 in the UK are carers and around two-thirds of this age cohort make some form of contribution to their communities.

However, too many people are missing out on a good later life. Around 1.8 million households headed by someone aged 50 to State Pension Age are struggling to maintain their living standards and save for retirement. Many people would like to move to a more age-friendly home, but find there isn’t anything suitable near to where they live and are connected to their communities. And while we are living longer, the number of years we can expect to have good health as we age varies greatly depending on where in the country we live.

We need action to respond to and plan for this demographic change across public and private sectors.

Housing – We need more affordable and attractive ways of adapting and improving our homes. Every new home built should be ‘age-proof’ – adaptable and accessible, whatever people’s ages or abilities.

Work – We need to explore how new technologies can support people to manage health conditions in the workplace. Employers need to offer flexible working, training and development or older workers, and change recruitment processes to be inclusive.

Communities – We need good transport links, opportunities to get involved in civic life and places and outdoor spaces to meet people’s needs. We need more places to become Age-friendly Communities and commit to supporting residents to age well.

Health – We need to focus on preventing people from developing the health conditions and disabilities which reduce their quality of life. If we can help people to remain physically active for longer and support them to adopt healthier lifestyles, we can make great strides.

I think that the real challenge is to seize the opportunity of a good later life – and stop thinking about ageing as challenge to overcome.”

https://apolitical.co/question/how-do-we-confront-the-challenges-associated-with-ageing-populations/

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East Devon Watch

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15 Dec 2018

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Austerity cuts, Local Government Finance, Post-Brexit Adjustments

Irish local authorities prepare for Brexit – ours lag behind

“Local authorities face a number of uncertainties due to Brexit but are focussed on building resilience in their areas to prepare.

Addressing the recent conference ‘Local Authorities – Implications for Local Authorities and their Areas,’ Jackie Maguire, Chair of the County and City Management Association (CCMA) said Brexit has been to the forefront of local authority considerations since the UK vote to leave the EU.

‘Preparing for the unknown is a huge challenge. In the local authority sector, our approach has been to consider all our plans and actions through the lens of Brexit, while maintaining close contact with Government and relevant departments throughout the negotiation period,’ she said.

The conference heard that as well as the potential impact on local business and economic development, there are a number of practical implications for local authorities, particularly in border regions.

Citing the current arrangement, where the Northern Irish Fire Service provides first response to call outs in parts of Donegal and giving the further example of an ongoing cross-border greenway project, she said:

‘While both the Republic and Northern Ireland have been members of the EU, we have been able to work collaboratively on shared infrastructure development and shared service provision. We now face into an unknown situation as to whether that can continue.’

The CCMA Chair also highlighted the impact Brexit may have on environmental standards, ‘Currently we apply relatively consistent environmental policies north and south; this is the best way to achieve results. The Water Framework Directive, for example, is implemented in both jurisdictions to manage river basins and improve water quality but rivers don’t stop at borders.’

‘Local authorities will do what we can to proactively mitigate against the worst impacts of Brexit and capitalise on any opportunities.’

‘This will involve not only our economic development and tourism teams but teams across our organisations – in planning, roads, housing, infrastructure and other areas. We will ensure efficient, responsive services and ambitious plans that will encourage enterprise, entice visitors and allow our areas to thrive.'”

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/argus/news/local-authorities-prepare-for-brexit-uncertainty-37611830.html

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East Devon Watch

Posted on

10 Dec 2018

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Austerity cuts, Poverty, Universal Credit

“Civil Servants Spent £1,125 On Universal Credit Cakes For Staff After Northern Ireland Roll-Out”

Nuff said!

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/northern-ireland-government-buys-forty-cakes-for-staff-after-uc-rollout_uk_5c0e849ae4b0edf5a3a6ece1

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East Devon Watch

Posted on

10 Dec 2018

Posted under

Accountability, Austerity cuts, East Devon Tories, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

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1 Comment

“East Devon has one of the highest rates of excess winter deaths in the South West, official figures show” and stiil community beds close!Disgraceful!

“Around 26% more people died in winter than in summer on average, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Across the rest of the South West, that figure is 18%.

Every year, more people die in winter than in summer – due to colder temperatures, respiratory diseases and outbreaks of flu.

To measure the impact, the ONS compares the number of additional deaths between December and March to the rest of the year.

During the winter of 2016/17, the latest period figures are available, there were approximately 150 excess winter deaths in East Devon.

This meant 26% more people died during winter in East Devon, compared with the yearly average.

This was higher than in the previous year when there were 12% more deaths during winter.

According to the ONS, small population sizes can cause a significant amount of year-on-year variation at a local level.

Across the South West, winter was most deadly for people aged 85 and older.

Out of 3,130 excess winter deaths in the South West, 3,120 were older than 65, and 2,090 older than 85.

Across England and Wales, the rate of excess winter deaths varies from as low as 4% to as high as 51%.

Dr Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said that the data raised concerns ‘as to why there is such variation even between areas in a single region’.

He said: “This data must act as a prompt to those in power to look at these trends and recognise that the capacity of the health service is being stretched beyond all measures in winter.

“We have an older, frailer population with increasingly complex medical problems, a lack of funding across health and social care to meet demand, a recruitment crisis and persistently poor performance.”

Provisional data for England and Wales shows that excess winter deaths hit their highest level in more than 40 years during 2017/18.

There were an estimated 50,100 excess winter deaths, 45% higher than the previous year.

Health think tank the King’s Fund said it was concerned that this ‘could be the start of a trend of periodically high winter deaths’.

The Department of Health and Social Care said that the 2017/18 figures ‘were likely the result of a combination of flu and cold weather’.

A spokesman said: “We know flu is difficult to predict – that’s why this year we have a stronger vaccine for over-65s, and have made more vaccines available than ever before.”

https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/east-devon-winter-deaths-nhs-figures-1-5812512

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East Devon Watch

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9 Dec 2018

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Poverty, Sleaze, Universal Credit

Tory MP blocks BBC journalist who quoted his exact words about food banks to expose his hypocrisy

“Conservative MP Dominic Raab has blocked a BBC journalist on social media after she repeated his comments about food banks.

The former Brexit Secretary posted a photo in which he posed with food bank volunteers in his Esher and Walton constituency. He wrote: “Thank you to Tesco in Molesey and the Trussell Trust for partnering to encourage customers to generously provide food collections for families in our community, who are struggling at this time of year.”

In response, Victoria Derbyshire quoted verbatim previous remarks made by Mr Raab in the run-up to the 2017 general election. She reminded him he had previously blamed the rising reliance on food banks on those who had a “cash flow problem”, insisting they were not “languishing in poverty”.

The journalist soon found herself blocked from following Mr Raab’s Twitter account. Ms Derbyshire tweeted: “I repeated verbatim what Mr Raab said about people who use food banks..”

On Victoria Derbyshire’s 2017 debate show, Mr Raab had said: “I’ve studied the Trussell Trust data. “What they tend to find is the typical user of a food bank is not someone that’s languishing in poverty, it’s someone who has a cash flow problem episodically.”

Food bank charity the Trussell Trust handed out a record 1.3million emergency parcels in 2017, with 41 per cent of recipients putting their need down to delays and changes in their benefits.”

https://inews.co.uk/news/dominic-raab-blocks-victoria-derbyshire-twitter-food-banks/

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East Devon Watch

Posted on

9 Dec 2018

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Austerity cuts, Inequality, Poverty, Sleaze, Universal Credit

Pub chain owner denies tweet that Universal Credit allows him to push zero-hours contracts

“Probably not the best PR for a wealthy businessman to be seen publicly boasting about how he is happily using taxpayers’ money to subsidise his staff wages.

So it’s a bit strange to see this tweet from the DWP quoting the MD and owner of pub chain Whiting and Hammond bragging about how so very little he pays his staff that his workers have to rely on Universal Credit to get by. …”

https://tompride.wordpress.com/2018/12/09/pub-chain-owner-denies-using-taxpayer-money-to-subsidise-wages-in-public-row-with-dwp-over-universal-credit/

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9 Dec 2018

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Poverty

“Pensioner poverty rises as benefits freeze bites”

“Declining home-ownership and rising rents mean that one in six may have to choose between food and heat, warns Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

One in six pensioners is now living in poverty as a result of declining home ownership, soaring rents and the benefits freeze, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has warned. Pensioner poverty is rising, having fallen steadily for nearly two decades, the charity said. The figures prompt fears that many pensioners will be forced to choose between paying for heating and buying food this winter, as benefits remain frozen below inflation for the third year in a row.

The foundation’s chief executive, Campbell Robb, said: “Pensioner poverty is a problem that we thought had gone away.”

The incidence had halved over 20 years, but began rising again in 2012-13. By 2016-17, 16% of pensioners were living in poverty, rising to 31% among those in social housing and 36% among private renters. Poverty here is “relative poverty” – an income of less than 60% of the median among pensioners, after housing costs.

Robb said: “For middle-aged people who have been struggling over the past few years, who don’t have many savings and don’t own their own home, the prospect of being a pensioner is very challenging.” The “golden age” when people enjoyed rising home-ownership and well-paid work was coming to an end, he added. About 20% of all pensioners rent their home, and the proportion is growing.

The problem is compounded by the benefits freeze, in place since 2016. “As rent goes up faster than housing benefit, pensioners have a huge gap to fill,” Robb said. “This tips people into poverty, and forces them to choose between food and heating.”

Figures published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies this year reveal that relative poverty among pensioners has risen in the past five years, while “absolute poverty” – an income of less than 60% of what the median of the general population was in 2010-11 – has fallen by just 1%. By comparison, absolute pensioner poverty fell by 12% between 2002-03 and 2007-08, and by 3% between 2007-08 and 2011-12.

The foundation called on the government to end the benefits freeze and to build genuinely affordable housing. “These figures are part of a wider increase in poverty across all age-groups,” said Robb. “If we don’t tackle the causes now, we fear that we are going to see poverty – particularly among pensioners – rise even more.”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/09/pensioner-poverty-rises-bnefites-freeze

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East Devon Watch

Posted on

9 Dec 2018

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Accountable Care Organisation, Austerity cuts, Health and Social Care (local), Integrated Care Systems, NHS (local)

Another NHS campaigner speaks out

Roseanne Edwards, who is fighting to “Keep Our Horton General” in Oxfordshire writes:

“From our fellow campaigners who are fighting as hard as we are for their local hospital. It is a copy of what is being done to services in Oxfordshire. It is happening all over England.

The background their hospital is set against is the same politically inspired NHS reorganisation we are all victims of.

“Following the 2010 election which returned a Coalition Government of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, the Department of Health was too busy with the torturous passage through the House of Commons and Lords of the Health and Social Care Bill, which became the Health and Social Care Act 2012, and took their eye off the ball, neglecting to commission training places in Universities for Doctors, nurses physiotherapists and other valuable and essential health professionals.

This resulted in a national shortage which we are seeing today, in A&E surgeons, paediatricians, nurses and other staff.

The outcome may have been intentional. Michael Portillo speaking on the BBC Parliament channel following the election, said that the Conservatives kept quiet about their intentions for the health service because they knew that if their plans became known, they would not be elected.

The intended change was to the fundamental foundation of what used to be the National Health Service, the Secretary of State’s duty to provide, which was removed and a system of contracting services out to tender to enable more profit making companies to siphon off the NHS revenue put in place with competition law operational.

Martin Barkley says that the Care Closer to Home model of service provision will be sustainable. This is government propaganda. What does sustainable mean? The funding for the health service is a matter of choice. Government chooses to fund it or not. This government and the Coalition, chose not to. Even when ‘Care Closer to Home’ is put in place and Dewsbury Hospital downgraded, completely as planned for spring 2017, the government could choose to reduce funding still further.

This is exactly what is happening with the mandatory and secretive Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) agenda, being worked up by the Councils, CCGs and Trusts, in West Yorkshire footprint number 5. The West Yorkshire STP has to save money as part of West Yorkshire’s share of the £22billion ‘efficiency savings.’

There is NO EVIDENCE to show that the cuts to hospital provision and services at home, are less expensive than inpatient stays. The pilots in Torbay were inconclusive. In fact they may prove to be more expensive. The expenditure of the National Health Service model as it had been and the treatment it carried out, was consistently found by OECD studies to be the most cost effective in the developed world, treating everyone according to need. This was the case even including the increased costs and associated difficulties caused by the marketised Foundation Trust system.

(The CCG CEP) Dr Kelly outlines what he describes as a “whole system change” in the NHS. What the describes, is chopping the services into tiny bits and letting private profit making companies provide the cheaper, less complex services, such as the dermatology he mentioned http://www.priderm.co.uk and the opticians on the high street. This denies revenue to the Hospital Trust, destabilising it. A new contract announced after the public meeting for Musculo- Skeletal services has gone toprivate company ConnectHealth:

http://www.connecthealth.co.uk

redirecting even more revenue away from the Trust:

https://www.northkirkleesccg.nhs.uk/news/patients-shape-musculoskeletal-service./.

The ‘Right Care ‘ initiative mentioned is an import from the US. What does ‘redesigning therapies’ mean? The Right Care programme, is looking at money. Is this the first step to withdrawing what was once available?

The Royal College of Surgeons has criticised the policy of withdrawing treatments now evaluated as procedures of limited clinical effectiveness (PoLCE) or procedures of limited clinical value (PoLCV). There is no national list of these, as CCGs are free to choose which ones to fund and which to not. The Royal College of Surgeons states that the growing list is “extremely detrimental to patients across the NHS, removing equality of access to treatment, creating postcode lotteries, lowering the standard of care provided in the NHS and potentially reducing the quality of life for some patients.”

Following the fragmentation described here, the architects of the STPlans want an Accountable Care Organisation (ACO) to put it back together, with the private sector cocooned and shareholding, in the provider structure.

Dr Kelly speaks of the Hospital Avoidance Team, going into hospitals to facilitate early discharge. What we have learned since the public meeting is that there is a postcode lottery with regard to what is on offer following a hospital stay and hospital nurses and other staff have to know where you live, because North Kirklees patients can not have what Wakefield patients get.”

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East Devon Watch

Posted on

8 Dec 2018

Posted under

Accountability, Austerity cuts, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local), Ottery St Mary, Scrutiny

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Ottery Community Hospital – a campaigner speaks on council in-fighting

Text of address to Ottery Town Council by Philip Algar, a long-term campaigner for the Ottery hospital, including its in-patient beds:

“OSMTC 29th NOVEMBER 2018

As an interested member of the public, I have attended almost all the town council meetings over the last few years. During that time, I have seen the councillors confront many issues, some trivial and some serious. However, I have not seen a collective, note the word “collective”, and timely public effort by the council as a whole to support those of us who have been campaigning to save the Ottery hospital. I can think of nothing that is more important to the local people than having access to a well-located modern greatly-valued hospital and this, surely, justifies your collective support. Why has such support been missing?

Whenever the subject of the hospital’s future has been included on the town council agenda, the main speaker, often the only speaker, has been one councillor, who, quite correctly, has said that she does not speak for the council but for a group of which she is a leading member.

As recently as last August, I asked the council to adopt an official and supportive role but nothing happened and, as far as I know, my suggestion that the hospital should become a community asset, which was rejected by EDDC, was not challenged by this council, even although such status has, I am told, been granted to other hospitals. I had suggested in advance that it might be wise to devise a response in anticipation of a negative decision.
All this is why I shall no longer be attending your meetings which will be good news for many of you. Furthermore, the well-intentioned and hard-working unofficial groups have failed to make much progress with the official bodies and, apparently, admit this. That said, it would be helpful if they were more communicative with the public.

Given this lamentable situation, it was hardly surprising that three councillors, backed by a county councillor, suggested setting up a semi-official working group to solve the crisis. Three councillors voted in favour and six, according to the draft minutes of the meeting, abstained.
I was astonished to learn that, allegedly, some councillors construed this as a defeat for the trio. That is breathtaking and worthy of Private Eye. If this is true, it also exposes a level of ignorance that calls into question the competence of those involved. If it is not true, I withdraw this comment immediately.

Now, despite an objective explanation from Dr. Margaret Hall, explaining that, effectively, NHS groups, apparently, will only discuss matters with official groups or those under the aegis of the council, you still chose to organise this meeting, at an unusual time when so many residents are at work. I note the comments that this meeting was planned as councillors were attending a finance meeting. The claim by the abstainers, that they did not have sufficient information, has already been undermined by Dr. Hall’s contribution so why have another meeting?

This, presumably, is an effort to overturn the initial decision on the creation of a working group. The agenda also raises the possibility of supporting a decision that has already been agreed after a vote of three to nil, and which has now been explained by Dr. Hall. I find the possibility that organising a meeting to consider reversing the democratically-taken decision to be a truly ludicrous waste of time and totally unnecessary.
Those who were penalised by the decision to remove inpatient beds and now face the prospect that the hospital may not even become a hub, deserve much more from their councillors.”
End: 29.11.18

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6 Dec 2018

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Local Government Finance, Poverty, Universal Credit

“The Government Thinks No-one Will Notice Their Devastation Of Local Government – We Won’t Let That Happen”

“Unless this Government changes tune, elderly people will be lonelier, disabled people will get sicker, vulnerable children will fall through the net.

Despite unprecedented pressure and growing warnings, Councils are bracing themselves for the biggest cuts they’ve had to face since 2010. That is the prospect of the Tories’ local government settlement set to be announced.

The past eight years have seen councils forced to make cuts – but they’ve reached the end of the line, with so-called “non-essential services” being cut to the bone, leading to even deeper reductions to the services that we all rely on like street cleaning, libraries, and children’s centres, and to many of the preventative services that previously reduced the pressure on the NHS and police.

So severe and urgent is the crisis facing our councils, that the UN’s special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights mentioned it in the opening paragraph of his recent report, saying that local authorities had been “gutted by a series of government policies”.

Despite all the warnings, the Government will announce a further 36 per cent cut to local government funding, the largest annual deduction in almost a decade.

Councils of all parties are facing a funding crisis with devastating effects on key public services – children at risk, disabled adults and vulnerable older people – and the services we all rely on, like clean streets, libraries, and children’s centres.

In one of the wealthiest countries in the world, this is an unacceptable position to be in. It is a national scandal that 1.4 million older people are now not getting the necessary help to carry out essential tasks such as washing themselves and dressing – up 20% over the last two years. The deterioration of social care alone will fundamentally damage the fabric of society as we know it. Huge amounts of money have been taken out of the system, despite obvious rising demand.

This is a crisis of the Tories’ creation, but as ever they are pushing the blame on to councils, communities, carers and families. Our councils were the first target when the coalition government came into power, losing 60p out of every £1 that the last Labour Government was spending on local government in 2010.

As a result of these cuts, the Tory-led Local Government Association is predicting that next year, councils will be facing a funding gap of £3.9 billion just to maintain current services, including £1.5 billion gap in adult social care funding.

Instead of showing the leadership that is needed in this crisis, the Government continues to put sticking plaster after sticking plaster, on what is now, an open wound.

Previous local government settlements under this Tory government have been unacceptable, unfair and unhelpful. Unless this Government changes tune, elderly people will be lonelier, disabled people will get sicker, vulnerable children will fall through the net, and our communities will become more unpleasant, unsafe and unattractive places to live. All councils are now reaching breaking point and short term sticking plasters will not keep the wolves from the door for much longer.

Andrew Gwynne is the Shadow Secretary of State, Communities & Local Government and Labour MP for Denton & Reddish”

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/local-council-cuts_uk_5c07d022e4b0a6e4ebda854a

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East Devon Watch

Posted on

5 Dec 2018

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Post-Brexit Adjustments, Poverty

Tory grandee says Tories should take blame for increase in poverty and he wants no part in it

“Lord Michael Heseltine has warned MPs against voting to “make this country poorer” in the looming House of Commons vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

In a rousing speech on Wednesday afternoon, the Tory former deputy prime minister told the House of Lords that if it votes for slower economic growth, lower tax revenues and lower public spending “those who will suffer most are those least able to bear the strain”.

“I tell you there are no solutions that help the fortunes of the least privileged in the most stressful circumstances,” said the famously pro-Europe politician.

“When the election comes, it will have been a Tory that led the referendum campaign,” Heseltine continued.

“It will have been a Tory government that perpetuated the frozen living standards.

“It will be a Tory government that is blamed for what we are talking about today.”

“I will have no part of it,” he added. …”

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/michael-heseltine-breixt-theresa-may_uk_5c08293ee4b069028dc61a1e

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East Devon Watch

Posted on

5 Dec 2018

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Education (local), Inequality

“School standards dip across the South West – but nurseries and childminders impress Ofsted”

“An annual report published by schools watchdog Ofsted showed, as of August 31 2018, 87 per cent of primary schools in Devon were judged as good or outstanding – a drop of four per cent compared to August 31 2017.

Seventy-six per cent of secondary schools in Devon were judged good or outstanding, a drop of six per cent.

The report said: “By the end of August 2018, 83 per cent of schools in the South West were judged good or outstanding at their most recent inspection, compared with 86 per cent nationally.

“This was a four percentage points decline for the region compared with August 2017.

“For primary schools, 84 per cent in the region were judged to be good or outstanding, a four percentage points decline compared with August 2017 figures. For secondary schools, 73 per cent were judged to be good or outstanding – below the national figure and a six percentage points decline compared with August 2017.” …

https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/school-standards-dip-across-the-south-west-but-nurseries-and-childminders-impress-ofsted-1-5806946

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East Devon Watch

Posted on

5 Dec 2018

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Poverty, Universal Credit

“130,000 homeless children to be in temporary lodgings over Christmas”

“More than 130,000 homeless children will be living in temporary accommodation over the festive period in Britain, the equivalent of five youngsters in every school, according to estimates by the homelessness charity Shelter.

Nearly 10,000 of those will wake up on Christmas Day in bed and breakfasts, hotels or hostels where in many cases their family will have been put up in a single room, sharing bathrooms and kitchens with other residents.

Overall, 50,000 more children in England, Wales and Scotland are homeless compared with five years ago, a rise of 59%, Shelter says. There have been particularly sharp increases in some affluent, high housing cost Tory heartlands in south-east England. …”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/05/130000-homeless-children-to-be-in-temporary-lodgings-over-christmas

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East Devon Watch

Posted on

4 Dec 2018

Posted under

Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Poverty, Universal Credit

Too poor to flush the toilet

“A disabled mother from Yorkshire says she is so worried about the cost of water that she sometimes has to miss out on washing or flushing the toilet.

Shirley Widdop, from Keighley, whose bill, based on a water meter, has risen by 35%, says: “It’s outrageous and like something from the 1930s.”
“We shouldn’t have to ration water.”

A report on poverty from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation shows that arrears for water bills are now the most common form of debt for the poorest families.

“I am on a water meter and because I’m on a low income I constantly worry about the bill being too high,” says the 51-year-old, who lives with two of her children.

She says it’s embarrassing but wants to raise awareness for many other people in a similar situation “who can’t speak up for themselves”.
The Consumer Council for Water, the watchdog for water consumers, says the number of people being put on to reduced rates for water bills, because they are struggling to pay, has risen by 50% in a year, to almost 400,000. …”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-46431480

Posted by

East Devon Watch

Posted on

4 Dec 2018

Posted under

Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Poverty, Universal Credit

“Nine children in typical class of 30 now living in poverty as levels soar to worst seen in decades, report says”

“A “relentless rise” in the number of working families struggling to make ends meet means more than half a million children in Britain are now trapped in poverty, a damning report has revealed.

In-work poverty is the highest it has been in 20 years and in a typical classroom of 30 children, nine are living in poverty, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s state of the nation report says.

Although successive governments have argued work is the fastest route out of poverty, the figures show 8 million people are living in poverty in households where at least one person is already in work.

The alarming figures come after the chancellor Philip Hammond revealed Brexit will make the UK worse off under any scenario.

The government estimates the UK economy could shrink by 3.9 per cent after 15 years under Theresa May’s Brexit plan, compared with staying in the EU.

But a no-deal Brexit could deliver a 9.3 per cent hit, the figures say.

Overall one in five of the UK population (22 per cent) are already in poverty – a total of 14.3 million people, and 56.5 per cent of those in poverty are living in household where someone is in work.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, warned families could be “pushed over the brink”.

He said: “We are seeing a rising tide of child poverty as more parents are unable to make ends meet, despite working. This is unacceptable.

“It means more families are trapped in impossible situations: struggling to pay the bills, put food on the table and dealing with the terrible stresses and strains poverty places on family life.

“It’s time for us to decide what kind of country we want to be. As we leave the EU, we must tackle the burning injustice of poverty and make Britain a country that works for everyone.

“We can do this by taking action on housing, social security and work to loosen the constraints poverty places on people’s lives. No one wants to see more families being pushed over the brink.

“We have an opportunity to fix this and ensure everyone can reach a decent standard of living – it is one we must seize to make the country work for everyone after Brexit.”

In-work poverty has been rising even faster than employment, the report says, and has been exacerbated by many parents working in low paid service industry jobs with little chance of career progression “especially in hotels, bars, restaurants and shops”.

Any gains from the national living wage and tax cuts are often outweighed by changes to tax credits and benefits that top up low wages, while the cost of housing has risen.

To stem the rise in poverty, the report calls for major government investments in affordable housing, ending the freeze on benefits and tax credits, and for employers to help people progress in the workplace.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/child-poverty-in-work-family-joseph-rowntree-foundation-state-of-the-nation-report-a8664891.html

Posted by

East Devon Watch

Posted on

4 Dec 2018

Posted under

Accountability, Asset sweating, Austerity cuts, Local Government Finance, Scrutiny

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“The public service gamble: Councils borrowing billions to play the property market”

New report from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism:

“In the last two years, the number of councils investing in property has doubled. In the past financial year alone, councils spent a total of £1.8 billion on investment properties, a six-fold increase from 2013-14.

Of biggest concern is the scale of debts accrued by four of the smallest local authorities in England – including Spelthorne Borough Council in Surrey, which says it is “heavily reliant on investment income” to fund the services it provides.

Spelthorne has so far borrowed £1 billion despite having a net annual budget of just £22 million – this equates to 46 times its spending power. Three other councils, Woking, Runnymede and Eastleigh, have borrowed more than ten times their budget.

The Bureau has obtained details of the property investments made by more than 100 local authorities. Today we have published the details in full, providing unprecedented insight into how councils are becoming property speculators – with additional details on the millions paid to property and finance consultants.

Properties bought by councils include a BP business park in Sunbury purchased by Spelthorne for £392 million; a Tesco Extra bought for £38.8 million by East Hampshire District Council; branches of Waitrose and Travelodge acquired by Runnymede District Council for £21.7 million and a B&Q store that is now owned by Dover District Council. Other acquisitions range from farmland and gyms to a Royal Mail depot and a solar farm.

Councils say they have been forced to find new ways to generate income given the steep cuts in central government funding, which the National Audit Office calculates has fallen by half in real terms since 2010.

But experts warn that commercial property investments are volatile, and the fact that councils are financing them through borrowing makes them even riskier. If anything goes wrong, the consequences for taxpayers could be severe.

“This is a risk that local authorities have never been exposed to before”
“If you look at the most extreme examples, there are public services used by vulnerable people which are dependent on how well rental income in the property market is doing,” said Don Peebles, Head of Policy for the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), which oversees council finance and publishes the guidelines local authorities are supposed to follow.

“This is a risk that local authorities have never been exposed to before and you have to ask whether they are equipped to handle that risk.”

Warnings unheeded

The spending spree has been made possible by councils’ easy access to low interest loans from the Public Works Loans Board (PWLB), a national government body. There are no limits to how much councils can borrow and they do not have to prove they can afford it – the PWLB leaves this up to councillors to decide. … “

https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2018-12-04/councils-borrow-billions-to-buy-real-estate

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