‘Local authorities should not be raising council tax to pay for social care,’ says Worcestershire County Council leader

PHOTO: Worcester News

Government money is needed to fill the gap in social care funding and local authorities should not be raising council tax to pay for it, the leader of Worcestershire County Council said.

Councillor Simon Geraghty discussed his proposals to save £17.9m by March 2019 and said the issues of local authorities struggling to cope with social care demands were not unique to the area but hiking up council tax would not solve the problem.

Following a debate on any council tax increases, Cllr Geraghty said: “In my personal view, I don’t believe this is a local problem, this a national problem that needs addressing by central government.

“While small adjustments in council tax can make some difference in the short-term, I don’t believe that’s the route which local government should be proceeding down.”

The Councillor said the money from social care to pay for services should be coming from central government, while local authorities should be coming from central government.

The council admitted it would be unable to make £8m cuts to spending in the next six months so will be carried over to 2019/20.

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