Forum Topic

Are the elderly paying for council tax cuts?

Long-time readers of this Forum may remember an exchange I had with councillor Mark Loveday shortly after the Conservatives took power in H&F. I was worried the new council would fund council tax cuts by reducing wages for home helps and making older people pay more for their care. He was very dismissive. I'm trying to find out what has actually happened in the past two years. Can anyone enlighten me, please?

Ben Coleman ● 6238d10 Comments

You'll be lucky. Details of their scoundrelly behaviour are at http://hammersmithtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=info&spage=common/hfcoun044.htmWhat really takes the biscuit is the language they use to justify these cuts to conditions: "As part of our commitment to becoming an employer of choice, already much change is happening to improve our business focus and the development of staff."How do you improve staff development by making them work more for less money?

Ben Coleman ● 6133d

So if the article in the "news" section of this site is true, we now know where the cuts in Council tax are coming from, and, if true, what a bloody disgrace.  LBHF has apparently told staff to accept changes to their employment contracts and that those who refuse will not be able to continue working at Hammersmith and Fulham Council. But this doesn't apply to teachers or senior management (such as the Council leader who will apparently get a 14% payrise). This is on top of (according to Labour, and I'm no fan of them, either) increases of 40% meals on wheels, up to 50% parking, 50% adult education, new charges for recycling and home care, cuts in services to the voluntary sector, for the elderly and disabled, for street cleansing and refuse....oh, and a 14% salary rise for the Council leader.Maybe one of our councillors will come on here and explain....?

Andrew Broadbent ● 6133d

"We seemed to have a number of Councillors who frequested this site for a while until we started asking them for justification of their claims and holding them to account."Andrew, this is par for the course on the other local web sites too, they don't like it up em, as the saying goes.

Maggie Dodge ● 6134d

Not sure if your original question was rhetorical and you've already seen this but the following link has some background on the issue.http://thecowanreport.blogspot.com/2008/04/despair-of-hammersmith-fulhams-sick-and.html

Karen Cooper ● 6134d

Has anyone tried Age Concern to find out if cuts have been made to the elderly.  Many a rumour suggests that cuts have definitely been made.  There are a few agencies in the area that provide carers to those that are in need but they are not council run.It is a sad reflection on our society that we question our elderly should pay for these services anywhere in the country.

Tina Pemberton ● 6144d

We seemed to have a number of Councillors who frequested this site for a while until we started asking them for justification of their claims and holding them to account.I've not spotted any on here lately.Maybe we've been asking too many questions....

Andrew Broadbent ● 6148d

Thanks very much. I have found a posting by Mark Loveday on 10 January 2007 in which he not only denied there would be any home help cuts but also boasted about there being no charges. His words were: 'In terms of the home help service, there will be no "cuts" at all. Exactly the same service will be provided as before. Moreover, don't forget we are providing home helps AT NO CHARGE TO THEM. This is almost unique in London. Almost every Labour and LibDem council in the country charges for this. We don't.'Now that he and his colleagues have introduced charges after all (which means cuts for those people who can't afford to pay the charges and so lose the service), I think I'll take what Cllr Loveday says in future with a pinch of salt. If anyone wants to read it in full, his post is at http://app.nnet-server.com/server/app/forum/ShowMessage.asp?ID=249488

Ben Coleman ● 6149d

If you search on the Cllr's name you get messages from him going back to 2005.

Karen Cooper ● 6149d

Thanks very much. I see on the same page a piece saying "Council Tax Set To Fall Again - But critics say other charges in the borough have soared". It looks as though Mark Loveday wasn't being straight with me and, as I feared, they have indeed paid for small council tax cuts through large increases in charges for the poorest people in the area. That's not decent. I wish they kept the threads on this forum for more than a year so I could check exactly what Cllr Loveday said.

Ben Coleman ● 6157d

There is an article relating to this on the home page of this site entitled "Legal Challenge Over Home Care Fees"

Ellen Kearney ● 6157d