We returned this week with a great discussion where we looked at the recent Resolution Foundation briefing note for the Health Foundation that looks at pressures on family pay, prices, and properties and the corresponding burdens on it brings to local authority budgets. There is a cyclic pressure of more hard-pressed families turning to equally…
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Jan 1 2024 Revenues and Benefits Update Pack
Happy New Year. I wanted to drop you a quick message during our holiday break. I’ve prepared a pack with the latest updates on revenues and benefits, covering what’s been happening with council finances and recent developments from the last couple of weeks. There’s some positive news about the funding settlement, although it still doesn’t…
Mid-December Discussion Group Update 11/12/23
Just a quick note while we’re on our Christmas break. I’ve put together a slide pack for mid-December to keep you updated on the latest in revenues and benefits. In this pack, you will see more information on two hot topics we often talk about. First, more councils are facing financial challenges, with some even…
Impact of Council Tax Rises Creates a Multifaceted Post-Code Lottery
The predicted council tax rises in the UK are projected to have a greater impact on households with lower incomes residing in the northern regions compared to those in the southern regions. This inequality stems from a combination of various factors: 1. Nature of Council Tax System: The Criteria for Determining Council Tax Bands: The…
Monday Discussion Group 26/11/23 Autumn Statement, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
In our last meeting of 2023, we’ll be back on January 8, 2024, we covered the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and its effects on the Revenues and Benefits department, along with its impact on citizens and stakeholders. We went through various topics, including changes in business rates, unexpected effects on council tax reduction schemes, and how…
Autumn Statement In a nutshell
Regarding benefits, there is a 6.7 percent increase, aligning with September’s inflation figures. This translates to an average enhancement of £470 for approximately 5.5 million households. Originally, ministers contemplated utilizing October’s inflation figure of 4.6 percent, potentially saving £3 billion but adversely impacting nine million households amidst the escalating cost of living. In addition, LHA…
Monday Discussion Group 20th November 2023 Veterans, Inflation and Rent CVs
In our Monday meeting, we had an insightful discussion about the Veteran’s Support Scheme, initiated by Robert Fox. It was interesting to note that this topic hadn’t been addressed previously. Our conversation revealed an overlooked demographic in our data analysis. We identified several existing veteran support initiatives, notably at the county level, yet observed a…
The UK Inflation Landscape: A Fragile Equilibrium and Looming Energy Bill Concerns
The UK’s inflation scenario presents a complex picture of stability amidst volatility, marked by continued price rises at a consistent rate and significant contributions from persistent high petrol and diesel costs. Notably, for the first time since September 2021, food and non-alcoholic drink prices have shown a decrease, including specific declines in the prices of…
Reforming Council Tax Reduction Schemes
The Government didn’t make life easy for local authorities when council tax reduction schemes were introduced in 2013. Local authorities were not given much time to prepare the way, so it was unsurprising that most schemes followed the default regulations and ended up very similar to Council Tax Benefit. Local authorities in England were also…
Monday Discussion Group 6/11/23: Rental Market Part 2
This week, at our Monday meeting on Revenues and Benefits, we continued our conversation about the factors influencing the rental market. We reviewed The Harrison report, which highlights the trend of London renters moving to other regions, significantly impacting those local markets. For example, in some parts of Oxford, 55% of potential tenants are from…