Our team of leading experts provide regular commentary on a wide range of local government issues. For all press enquires, please contact Jen Pufky on 020 7554 2800 or 07825 617 927 or by email on jen.pufky@lgiu.org.uk.
‘Whitehall must ‘do better’ at collecting taxes’ – Lauren Lucas, LGiU Policy Manager, is quoted in this week’s roundup.
The Local Government Association says central government must become as good as councils at collecting tax. Lauren Lucas, LGiU Policy Manager, agrees stating that ‘70% of residents were happy with their council, but 62% are dissatisfied with government’. Perhaps its time to turn the tables and look at what the centre could learn from the local.
Jonathan Carr-West speaks to BBC Gloucestershire about the role of the council in tackling benefit fraud. From 1 hour 9 mins in.
Laurie Thraves, LGiU Policy Manager, explains the human cost behind a failure to provide adequate support to self-funders of adult social care.
Chris Horlick, Managing Director – Care of Partnership, discusses in the MJ why it is so important to consider the impact of care costs on council budgets and recognise the pressures that local authorities are under.
Councils could lose out on £95m of funding next year after the government underestimated how much financial protection local authorities need against fluctuations in business rates income. Jonathan Carr-West explains why this shows a fundamental dysfunctionality in the relationship between local and central government.
Laurie Thraves, LGiU Policy Manager, discusses the lack of local government support for self-funders of adult social care.
New research published by localist think tank LGiU shows that self-funders of adult social care present a significant financial challenge for local government, threatening the entire structure of the social care system. 57 per cent of individuals fund in full or in part their residential and nursing care, but a substantial number are falling back…
Self-funders make up a huge proportion of the social care system, yet little attention is paid to making sure they get the access they are entitled to. Everyone, including local government, stands to lose
Authorities must provide access to earlier financial advice for self-funders to prevent hardship for them and reduce risks of them falling back on local authority funding, says think-tank report.
