Well the Government Autumn Spending Review has been released and whilst it has not been as savage as some had predicted. This Government spending review is still a killer!
Chancellor commits two U-Turns
Local Government resources will again be hit very hard. The Welfare budget is to lose £12b and that will flow through to local Council as a reduction in resource, I also firmly expect that there will be some other real nasties come out of the Governments small print over the next few days.
Already Care homes across Britain are suggesting that they face financial meltdown after the Chancellor failed to fill a black hole in their funding, industry bosses have warned.
The chancellor revealed a string of measures in the autumn statement designed to support the finances of the social care sector, which is under growing pressure from a squeeze in the fees councils pay towards residents and a rise in costs for care home operators.
However, key figures claimed Osborne had not gone far enough and care homes could now start to close. They said the chancellor was “short of money and ideas” and criticised the autumn statement. Also there is £12b being cut from the Welfare budget and that will hit at those on Housing Benefits, and also those receiving
The great news today is that Labour and others had some success in limiting the damage done by Government on the Police and Working Tax credit cuts.
With both those areas of the budget statements having U –Turns made by the Chancellor.
I have immediately written tonight to the Police & Crime Commissioner to ask him if that means we do not have to lose Police & PCSO’s that were recently announced by the Chief Constable? I will of course keep you informed of the response……I know that Wednesfield does not want to lose any part of their Police Services.
