Scrap the budget cuts
We the undersigned call to scrap Bristol City Council’s proposed budget cuts.
We the undersigned call to scrap Bristol City Council’s proposed budget cuts.
Bristol City Council’s proposed budget cuts include more than £11 million cuts to adult social care[1]. The council explain that the cuts are necessary to meet an overall budgetary shortfall of £19.5 million.
In an online announcement on 3rd December the Labour council provides no opposition to the budget cuts. Instead, the cuts are described as ways of ‘working more efficiently’, ‘making besat use’ of property, ‘removing unnecessary duplication, and getting best value from our suppliers’[2]. The result of these apparently laudable aims is not to cut the salaries of highly paid council leaders. Instead, despite statutory obligations under the Care Act 2014[3], the impact of the proposed budget is predominantly targeted at adult social care. Such cuts threaten the lives of Disabled people who are already struggling with reduced support services and have been the hardest hit by the pandemic.
A supposed consultation carried out in December was inaccessible to many of the city’s residents and did not include details of the budgetary proposals. Local government decision making is subject to the need for adequate consultation as defined by the Gunning principles[4]. There must be
“sufficient information to give ‘intelligent consideration’. The information provided must relate to the consultation and must be available, accessible, and easily interpretable for consultees to provide an informed response”
The importance of compliance with this, together with the Public Sector Equality Duty[5] was demonstrated in the High Court ruling that the consultation for the Government’s Disability Strategy was unlawful[6].
Bristol City Council has previously failed to carry out lawful prebudget consultation in relation to its SEND budget[7]. The court ruled that rather than aiming to comply with statutory duties the council’s decision making process was:
“driven entirely from the standpoint of ensuring a balanced budget”[8]
The Council does not appear to have learned from that ruling. There has been no significant consultation with social care users in Bristol as to the impact of the budget reductions.
Social care services have been under serious pressure for some time, with the council relying on the low pay and over work of many outsourced care providers. The council must understand the impact of further proposed budget cuts. A member of the Disabled People’s Organisation, ‘Bristol Reclaiming Independent Living’ explained, ‘I feel terrified of the social care budget cuts. The immediate impact is to reduce my ability to function and make decisions’. Other members expressed similarly deep fear and concern.
The council claims to wish to ‘continue to deliver high-quality services for everyone’. Yet this proposed budget does the opposite.
1. We call for this budget to be scrapped immediately.
a. Provision of social care is a statutory obligation under the Care Act 2014. Social care is already underfunded and individual disabled people are already paying the price. These services are essential for daily life and should therefore be non-negotiable.
b. Support for people under Section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 is also a statutory obligation which cannot be cut without serious impact on people in crisis.
2. Instead, we call for publicly accessible and meaningful consultation on alternative solutions to the council’s budget crisis.
Bristol Labour has made a choice as to which services to cut in order to balance their budget. We reject their choice and call for them to respect the choices of disabled people.
Yours
Name Organisation
Mark Williams Bristol reclaim independent living (BRIL)
Waltraud Pospischil Bristol reclaim independent living (BRIL)
Rebecca Yeo (BRIL & Disability Murals)
Many other BRIL members reliant on social care funding who wish to maintain anonymity to avoid the risk of personal repercussions in their provision.
Jo Benefield Bristol defend asylum seekers campaign
Andrew Bolton Disability murals
Joanna Booth Freelance journalist
[1] https://democracy.bristol.gov.uk/documents/s68755/Appendix%208%20-%20Budget%20Savings%20and%20Efficiences.pdf
[2] https://www.bristol.gov.uk/newsroom/two-weeks-left-for-bristol-s-2022-to-2023-budget-consultation
[3] https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/23/contents/enacted read on 04/02/2022 at 19.55
[4] https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/The%20Gunning%20Principles.pdf read 04/02/2022 at 19.10
[5] https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/part/11/chapter/1 read 04/02/2022 at 19.39
[6] https://www.bindmans.com/uploads/files/documents/Binder_v_SoS_for_Work_and_Pensions_2022_EWHC_105_(Admin).pdf read 04/02/2022 at 19.17
[7] https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/KE-others-v-Bristol-City-Council-Approvedjudgment.pdf read 04/02/2022 at 19.22
[8] Para 129 https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/KE-others-v-Bristol-City-Council-Approvedjudgment.pdf read 04/02/2022 at 19.29