Conservative-led Surrey County Council plans 15% council tax hike

[Douglas J]

Councils should decide what their purpose is.

 

Councils are not an NHS service, is looking after old people when they are ill, is that a job for the NHS?

 

Actually, Councils have a major role in looking after people - not necessarily when they are just ill; social care is also needed for people with disabilities who need help.

 

in recent years, more responsibility and cost for health issues has passed to councils from what used to be provided in the NHS.

[Bob Arctor]

.....back on topic

 

If this happened all over the country, at the same level, the old and infirm in more affluent area's will be better looked after than the old and infirm in poorer areas.

 

move on nothing new here...............

 

Which is why it is far preferable for social care to be funded centrally, and funded properly.

[max]

We need a poll.

 

Would Sheffielders support a 15% increase in Council Tax to pay for elderly care, given the £hundreds of millions the council has wasted on white elephants ?

 

How about some instances of these white elephants with associated costs?

[sgtkate]

We need a poll.

 

Would Sheffielders support a 15% increase in Council Tax to pay for elderly care, given the £hundreds of millions the council has wasted on white elephants ?

 

White elephants or not I'd be happy to pay more council tax if that money went directly (or at least nearly directly) to funding social care for vulnerable people whether old or young. One day I will be one of those people and if we don't fund it now then it will not be there when we need it, so even taking the selfish route it still needs more money!

 

However, I do not understand why local councils should be paying for this at all. As Bob has said this needs to be centrally funded with clear objectives and SLAs from central government. It probably should be amalgamated into the NHS all long as the required funding goes with it.

 

And what is wrong with 33% of council tax going to pensions? For one it's a legal requirement for all employees to have a matched stakeholder pension so unless you want council staff to be exempt? Secondly, when the workers retire if they have a pension they will likely cost taxpayers less as many pension-age benefits are means-tested so in the long run we'll probably break even...

Edited January 20, 2017 by sgtkate

[Jacktari]

The problem could be sorted out very quickly by a program of extermination.

Choose an age, say 70, and euthanize everyone over that age.

There would be an outcry at first, but it would soon die down if everyone left was given a one off payment towards a new car or something.

 

Think of the money saved in pensions etc.

 

Of course this would not apply to the monarchy and the rich.

Oh dear me no.

 

Only to those revolting old people.

[sgtkate]

The problem could be sorted out very quickly by a program of extermination.

Choose an age, say 70, and euthanize everyone over that age.

There would be an outcry at first, but it would soon die down if everyone left was given a one off payment towards a new car or something.

 

Think of the money saved in pensions etc.

 

Of course this would not apply to the monarchy and the rich.

Oh dear me no.

 

Only to those revolting old people.

 

You mean this:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074812/

[Jacktari]

You mean this:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074812/

 

30 is a bit young though.

They have not dragged every shred of energy out of you by that age.

[LeMaquis]

I believe about 33% of council tax goes towards council worker's pensions.

 

I believe about 100% of your brainpower goes towards posting crap on here.

 

---------- Post added 20-01-2017 at 18:46 ----------

 

Surely we can all agree, that it's a big percentage of council tax that goes towards pensions.

 

Thanks for the links, the_bloke. ...... 50% for Scotland

 

Council Tax makes up about a sixth of council expenditure. Without identifying that ratio your claim is meaningless. A certain percentage of an unidentified amount could mean anything.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/316772/LGFS24_web_edition.pdf

[Douglas J]

In a couple of years virtually no money will go to councils from central government. It will just be business rates and council tax - hence councils trying to hike council tax as they are desperate for money to pay for social care. But central government have made that difficult for them to do that because they don't want them to be able to raise more money for social care. Let's think for a moment about what kind of person sets up that kind of scenario by choice.

 

There is a useful outline on where the council's money comes from and goes to in the leaflets here:

 

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/finance/how-we-spend-budget.html

 

This year, council tax was to raise only £177m (13%) out of the total £1,378m income.

[Gamston]

I believe about 100% of your brainpower goes towards posting crap on here.

 

---------- Post added 20-01-2017 at 18:46 ----------

 

 

Council Tax makes up about a sixth of council expenditure. Without identifying that ratio your claim is meaningless. A certain percentage of an unidentified amount could mean anything.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/316772/LGFS24_web_edition.pdf

Do you work for the council ?