471 MILLION IN DEBT
The real position (see below for more detail)
Devon County Council (DCC) maintains a moderate debt level
compared to some of the most indebted UK councils. However, it faces
significant financial pressures, particularly related to its Special
Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services.
Your Council Tax has gone up by
25% in just five years:
YES of course it has for a very good reason Between
2010 and 2020, central government funding for local authorities in England and
Wales decreased by nearly 60%. This substantial reduction led to cuts in
various services, including public libraries, refuse collection, road
maintenance, and early childhood programs.
Increased Reliance on Local Revenue
Shift Towards Local Taxation: Councils have become more
dependent on locally raised funds. In 2024–25, council tax is expected to
contribute 53% of core funding, up from 36% in 2010–11.
Council Tax Flexibilities: To address funding shortfalls, councils
have been granted greater flexibility to increase council tax rates, especially
those responsible for social care services.
Rising Service Demands and Costs
Social Care Pressures: Spending on adult and children's
social care has increased, now accounting for 65% of council budgets in
2023–24, up from 50% in 2010–11. This rise reflects growing demand and higher
service costs.
Service Reductions: Conversely, spending on other
services has declined significantly since 2010–11: housing by one-third,
highways and transport, culture and leisure, and planning by over 40%, and
youth services by 70%
“No more of this Woke nonsense”
“Woke” actually means Human Rights which is
why Reform wants to take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights
which the UK was instrumental in founding after WWII. Human rights have been fought for over
centuries - things like getting rid of slavery, women getting the vote, women
no longer being the property of their husbands, gay men no longer being imprisoned,
the list is very long. Every reform took years and was strongly opposed. Each one
would have been “Woke” at the time.
Stop 200K salaries for
incompetent bosses.
The DCC Chief Exec is actually paid the going rate for the
job, and less than the CC Chief Exec. of Essex CC where Farage has his Clacton
seat. Farage himself is not content with the going rate for his job, as we
all know.
We will reduce rates for
struggling businesses
Ha! Ha! What a joke! This is the party that has
cut businesses off from the 450 million strong EU market just across the
channel which added hugely to business costs and made everyone in the country
poorer.
Fight against government rules (on
social housing). Too often local people go the back
of the queue.
NOT TRUE. The rules actually say, authorities have
discretion to prioritise applicants with strong ties to the area, such as
long-term residency or employment.
Council staff claimed over £3.5
million in just 3 years.
What are they getting at here?Devon
County Council is the largest employer in Devon, with over 20,000 employees.
This workforce supports a wide range of services, including education, social
care, highways, waste and recycling, economic regeneration, library services,
registration services, transport, and various support services such as finance,
ICT, legal support, and personnel. If they all claimed for 3 years that would
be £58 each but probably this is about travel expenses and other expenses involved
with their job. Does Reform expect the employees to pay these expenses out
of their wages?
£159,000 spent on language translation
services.
So what! Deaf people need a BSL interpreter – my wife
is a BSL interpreter who works alongside a deaf person so that person can have
a full-time job. Part of this money will go on that. But of course, this
looks like thinly disguised ultra-nationalism – if they can’t speak our language they’ve
no business living in our country. Like the English speakers living in Spain
for example.
£533,000 on their equality and
inclusion team.
Straight out of the Trump-Musk playbook! What is wrong with
this? It’s about fairness and treating all human beings with respect. DCC
have to comply with central government legislation. The primary purpose of this
team is to ensure that the council meets its legal obligations under the
Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality. Website: Home - Equality, Diversity and
Inclusion
Over £1.7 million spent on
Council Staff electric car scheme.
WRONG! Like to hear the truth?
Devon County Council (DCC) offers an electric vehicle (EV)
salary sacrifice scheme to its employees, enabling them to lease electric cars
through pre-tax salary deductions. This arrangement reduces both income tax and
National Insurance contributions for participating staff.
Cost to the Taxpayer. The EV salary sacrifice scheme is
designed to be cost-neutral—or even financially beneficial—for the council and,
by extension, local taxpayers.
Employees benefit from reduced personal costs for electric vehicles, while the council potentially saves on employer National Insurance contributions. Any risks are generally managed through agreements with third-party providers.
DCC Debt - details
Devon County Council Debt & Pressures on Spending
Devon County Council (DCC) maintains a moderate debt level
compared to some of the most indebted UK councils. However, it faces
significant financial pressures, particularly related to its Special
Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services.
Debt Levels and Financial Position
While specific figures for DCC's total debt or Capital
Financing Requirement (CFR) are not publicly disclosed, the council has not
been identified among the UK's most indebted local authorities For context,
some councils have accumulated debts exceeding £1 billion, often due to
ambitious commercial investments DCC's financial challenges are more
prominently associated with service delivery pressures rather than excessive
borrowing
SEND Funding Pressures
A significant financial strain for DCC arises from its SEND
services As of September 2024, the council reported a SEND budget deficit
exceeding £160 million To address this, DCC entered into a "safety
valve" agreement with the Department for Education, securing a £95 million
bailout In return, the council committed to using £29 million from its reserves
and implementing measures to reduce overspendingDespite these efforts, the
council anticipated an overspend of £38 million on its annual SEND budget,
surpassing the £31 million limit set by the agreement, necessitating further
savings of £7.4 million citeturn0search0
Budgetary Adjustments and Service Impacts
In response to financial pressures, DCC approved a 4.99%
increase in council tax for the 2024/25 financial year, the maximum permissible
without a public referendum. This increase includes a 2% rise specifically
allocated for adult social car. The council's revenue spending was set to
increase by £43 million, reaching £743 million for the year. Looking ahead to
2025/26, the council plans to increase its service delivery budget by 5.9% to
£784 million. However, £66 million of this increase is earmarked for addressing
cost pressures, including inflation and national wage increase. To balance the
budget, DCC aims to implement £22 million in spending cuts, which may impact
various service.
Comparative
Overview
While DCC's debt levels are moderate, its financial
challenges are significant, primarily due to service demand pressures and
funding constrains. In contrast, some councils with higher debt levels have
faced financial difficulties stemming from substantial borrowing for commercial
ventures
DCC's approach focuses on managing service delivery costs
and seeking government support to address deficits, particularly in SEND services
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