Spending Review: Your comments
Sitra have been receiving comments from the sector on the Comprehensive Spending Review. Here are a sample of the immediate responses:
"Putting Supporting People into the formula grant is going to put it under considerable pressure of being diverted."
Provider of housing and support services for young vulnerable people
"I am encouraged by the Supporting People funding being partially protected. Lets hope that is upheld at county level."
Registered Social Landlord
"Housing Benefit: increase age limit for shared room rate from 25 to 35 - Personally I think that this is the worst element of the changes; I think it will lead to increased homelessness amongst young people. Perhaps the idea behind it is to solve the housing crisis by making all single people up to age of 34 live in shared housing? Does this also mean that when the universal credit is introduced the lower amount of Job Seekers Allowance (paid up to age 24) will be extended up to 34 year olds?"
Voluntary sector provider of support and community services
"Local government, which provides vital public services to local communities, including children, families and the elderly faces almost 30 percent cuts in its budgets over the next four years. Add to this 20 percent cuts in the welfare budget over the same period of time, which will no longer be based on a needs assessment but as a balancing figure in the Chancellor's deficit reduction strategy, means many people are going to be driven deeper into poverty and have less access to vital services."
Councillor and Cabinet Member for Resources
"GOOD: Adult apprenticeships increased, £1 billion from NHS to LA to promote joint working across social care, increase spend on social care, Homelessness Grant protected,150,000 new affordable homes over next four years, the first community budgets in 16 local areas, to pool departmental budgets for families with complex needs, from 2011-12.
BAD(?): Over four years councils will have to cut spending by 28 percent, people on work related ESA group will move on after a year (presumably to JSA) – seems to be coming into effect 2012, Council Tax benefit cut by 10 percent, capping household benefit payments from 2013 at around £350 per week for single adult households. All Disability Living Allowance claimants, war widows, and working families claiming the working tax credits will be exempt from the cap (I think this will include HB?), removing the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance for people in residential care, where such costs are already met from public funds."
Provider of services for homeless people
"I also liked the increase in social care so Local Authorities have less excuse to plunder Supporting People. Of course the devil is in the detail. I’m ploughing through the published document."
Chief Executive, voluntary sector provider
The challenges faced by our 20,000+ clients look tougher than ever, but our job doesn’t change – to work with our clients on the absolute best solutions we can, delivering homes, care, support and opportunity to the clients we work with. The Spending Review result so far does provide some reassurance on Supporting People funding and additional social care funding. I feel cautiously relieved as a result that we will be able to deliver on our promise to clients.
Director of Care and Support at a large provider
The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), a weekly allowance paid to learners from low income backgrounds to help them stay on in learning, is being replaced with a locally managed discretionary fund:
“What about the people who are leaving school who need training and funding for their college course? The people who have no financial support? Abolishing EMA will ruin young people’s dreams and hopes of having the career they desire.”
Youth Involvement Officer, Provider organisation
Universities can increase graduate contributions towards fees. The Department £150 million national scholarship fund to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds (details of the criteria for awards are not yet available from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills):
"Universities increasing contribution towards fees may affect [young people] not being able to achieve the education they hope to achieve, and therefore,[affect] their career. The national scholarship fund does seem incredible, to say the least, giving higher education opportunities for those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Finance should never be a barrier to education!"
[A young client, provider organisation]
Send us your comments
We'd really like to hear from you. Email your comments and concerns about the Spending Review to sharonr@sitra.org
Please let us know if we can post them on our website. If you want to remain anonymous we'd still like to hear from you.
