The Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group met on 21 July 2025 to reflect on two significant developments: the proposed council tax exemption for terminally ill residents and the government’s investment in local service “innovation squads.” Exempting the Terminally Ill: Well-Meaning but Misplaced? Malcolm Gardner opened the meeting by highlighting a campaign led by Marie…
Category: Governance
Local Government’s Breaking Point: Financial Fragility, Workforce Decline, and the Failure to Focus on Outcomes
Summary of the Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group – 14 July 2025 At the most recent Independent Revenues & Benefits (R&B) Discussion Group, chaired by Malcolm Gardner, local government professionals gave a sobering assessment of the sector’s current state. With escalating financial deficits, an ageing and shrinking workforce, and new pressures from political reforms,…
Tensions in Council Tax Collection: Balancing Policy, Affordability, and Public Perception
Revenues and Benefits Discussion Group 7 July 2024 At the latest meeting of the Independent Revenues & Benefits (R&B) Group, members grappled with a familiar but still unresolved dilemma: how to reconcile the administrative and political pressures of council tax collection with the realities of household poverty, affordability, and fairness. Council Tax Write-Offs and Public…
Independent R&B Discussion Group: Spending Review Analysis
The latest meeting of the Independent R&B Discussion Group, chaired by Malcolm Gardner, convened to discuss the recent Spending Review and its implications across government departments, local authorities, and welfare provision. The session included detailed contributions from a range of experts: Paul Howarth, Gareth Morgan, Alex Clegg, Rachael Walker, Sean O’Sullivan, Robert Fox, and Bob…
Reform UK’s “Department of National Efficiency”: A High-Stakes Gamble in Local Government Reform
Malcolm Gardner June 2025 Reform UK’s newly launched “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) is pitched as a radical instrument to root out waste, overhaul council finances, and deploy tech-led solutions to chronic inefficiencies. Inspired by the controversial U.S. DOGE initiative under Elon Musk, the UK version aims to deliver rapid savings through forensic audits, AI…
Pathways to a More Empowering Welfare State: Winners, Losers, and the Cost of Inaction
The recent “Pathways to Work” green paper lays bare the escalating cost and inherent dysfunctionality of a binary welfare state—one that categorises individuals simply as either capable or incapable of work. This approach, particularly when applied to supporting those with genuine disabilities, is proving both economically unsustainable and socially regressive. As argued in Abundance by…
VN Monday Discussion Group 4/11/24 The Autumn Budget
On 4 November 2024, the Independent R&B Discussion Group met to examine the latest budget and its implications for local services, public spending, and policies affecting welfare and business rates. Led by Malcolm Gardner, the session provided detailed insights from experts in local government finance and welfare, with a focus on emerging policies and the…
Lessons for Revenue and Benefits Services on the Use of Data: Insights from the National Data Guardian’s Warning
The effective use of data is fundamental to the operations of any public service, including revenue and benefits services. However, the way data is described and managed is just as crucial as the data itself. Drawing lessons from the National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care, Dr Nicola Byrne’s recent warnings about the misuse…
Economic Challenges and AI Opportunities for Local Government
Difficult Inheritance: Navigating Weak Growth and High Debt The new government steps into an economic quagmire marked by weak growth, high taxes, and a government debt that has tripled since 2007. Public spending is teetering on the brink of crisis with deteriorating public services adding to the urgency. Fiscal pressures are mounting due to an…
Monday Discussion Group 11/3/24: Budget 2024 Key Elements for Revenues and Benefits– Visionary Network
Last Monday, we discussed key elements from the 2024 budget announcement and how they may impact Local Authorities, specifically the Revenues and Benefits departments. Paul Howarth provided an excellent summary, which you can find in the recording, and there is additional information in the slide pack, plus links to key documents on our website. My…