On Monday, we had a lively discussion about a recent report from the Resolution Foundation on benefit caps, especially focusing on the policy that limits benefits to two children. Lalitha Try, the author of the report, was with us, and we really appreciated her input. Our conversation, like many others we’ve had on Mondays, covered…
Category: General
22/1/24 Monday Discussion Group: What is Keeping You Up at Night?
In our Monday discussion group, we talked about what’s been worrying you lately. The main concern was about subsidies. It’s really important now, especially with the tight budget at the council. It seems like the finance team might not fully understand how much subsidies are affected by things they can’t control. This could be anything…
15/1/24 Discussion Group – It never happened here… or did it? Lessons to be learned from the Post Office Scandal
This week, we talked about the recent scandal involving the Post Office. We focused on what we can learn from it, especially about making sure our computer systems are strong and accurate. We also discussed private prosecutions, which are familiar to local authorities in their roles as regulators, inspectors, and fraud teams. We remembered the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Storms Exacerbate the UK Housing Crisis
The United Kingdom’s housing crisis, characterized by a shortage of affordable homes, skyrocketing prices, and rising homelessness, faces an additional relentless challenge: the increasing severity and frequency of storms. As the climate crisis escalates, the impact of adverse weather events on the already strained housing sector is becoming more acute, further complicating the lives of…
Monday 16/10/23 Cash
In this week’s Monday Revenues and Benefits Discussion Group, we talked about cash and how important it is to provide cash assistance to vulnerable households. Gareth Evans from Cash Perks, a non-profit organization that helps get cash to people who can’t access a bank account or are dealing with financial challenges, led the discussion. We…