News from Westminster Labour

Massive £4m Westminster Council underspend on Adult Social Care

Westminster Conservatives have underspent the Council’s Adult Social Care budget by £4.4 million, according to a report to the Council’s Audit and Performance Committee. At the same time, a disabled woman from Lisson Grove says she was told by the Council to “cut her hair” to save her carer time when she raised concerns about her home care hours being cut.

Overall, the Audit and Performance Committee report reveals that the Council has underspent its budget by £10.4 million, in effect adding a further £10.4 million of service cuts to the £60 million of cuts already implemented by the Council. In addition to the £4.4 million underspend on Adult Social Care, the Council has underspent on Housing by £2.3 million and on Children’s Services by £0.8 million.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said; “Not content with inflicting the deepest and most savage cuts to front line services, the Conservatives are now making matters worse by deliberately under-spending on key services to residents. Westminster Conservatives are running the meanest Council in Britain and they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves at a time when the most vulnerable are bearing the brunt of the cuts.”

Other news from Westminster Labour

• Westminster Council to a hire new £125k a year Spin Doctor as it makes £12m cuts - 6 February 2013
• Minister must get tough with Westminster Council over "unacceptable and unlawful" temporary housing - 5 February 2013
• West End Actors join fight to save Westminster Council's arts and culture budget - 5 February 2013