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The Impact on Public Finances of meeting UNISON’s 2018/19 pay claim for NJC local government workers

This paper provides an estimate of the overall impact on public finances of the 2018-19 National Joint Council (NJC) pay claim for employees in local government covered by the NJC. Although the NJC also covers the majority of school support staff, th…

Published: 16th Nov 2017
Authors: Adam Tinson, Issy Petrie
Category: Local Government

Are cuts to Council Tax Support in England a false economy for councils?

Key points Total uncollected council tax is £400m higher than in 2013-14 when Council Tax Benefit was abolished. The number of local authorities that have either retained CTB or set no minimum payment continues to decline, and more local authorit…

Published: 10th Aug 2017
Authors: Carla Ayrton, Karen Barker
Category: Council Tax

Redefining neighbourhoods: A future beyond austerity?

Neighbourhood services are universal services. The public sees them as the core function of local government. Since 2010/11, neighbourhood services have been the hardest hit of all local government services, taking a shrinking share of a shrinking b…

Published: 25th Apr 2017
Authors: Karen Barker, Peter Kenway
Category: Local Government

Key changes to council tax support in 2017/18

Key points Council tax support (CTS) gives low-income working-age families a discount on the amount of council tax they have to pay. So if CTS is cut, the result is a tax increase for those families affected. 74 councils changed their schemes in …

Published: 4th Apr 2017
Authors: Otis Long, Carla Ayrton
Category: Council Tax

Sustainable local government finance and liveable local areas: Can we survive to 2020?

This report paints a picture of local government finance up until 2020 against the backdrop of the past five years and identifies the challenge it presents to the liveability and public realm services most closely associated with APSE. They include l…

Published: 8th Mar 2017
Authors: Theo Barry Born, Peter Kenway
Category: Local Government

Council tax support schemes in 2017-18: what are the key issues ahead of councils’ decisions?

A new briefing from the New Policy Institute is calling on local councils considering making their Council Tax Support (CTS) schemes less generous to consider the impact on low-income households. …

Published: 25th Jan 2017
Author: Adam Tinson
Category: Council Tax

Have cuts to Council Tax Support in England led to rising council tax arrears?

Council Tax arrears have risen in the years since the introduction of Council Tax Support (CTS), a local replacement for Council Tax Benefit (CTB) which tends to be less generous. This briefing paper looks at the relationship between the generosity o…

Published: 12th Dec 2016
Author: Carla Ayrton
Category: Council Tax

NPI submission to CLG Local Council Tax Support Review

On 2 December 2015 the Department for Communities and Local Government announced the launch of the mandatory three-year review of the localisation of Council Tax Support, following its replacement of Council Tax Benefit in April 2013. Since autumn 2…

Published: 19th Jan 2016
Category: Council Tax

Featured Publication - The impact on public finances of meeting UNISON’s 2016-17 pay claim for school and council workers covered by the NJC for Local Government Services

The impact on public finances of meeting UNISON’s 2016-17 pay claim for school and council workers covered by the NJC for Local Government Services

This paper provides an estimate of the overall impact on public finances of the 2016-17 NJC pay claim for employees in local government and schools covered by the National Joint Council (NJC). The paper has been commissioned by UNISON. The pay part o…

Published: 13th Jan 2016
Author: Adam Tinson
Category: Local Government

Local Welfare Safety Net Inquiry: Submission from the New Policy Institute

The New Policy Institute (NPI) have responded to the Committee’s call for evidence on the local welfare safety net. This is a subject where we have both a wide-ranging view and in-depth knowledge, the latter from research projects to do with Council …

Published: 5th Nov 2015
Category: Social Security and Welfare Reform

The Overall Impact on Public Finances of Meeting the Local Government Trade Unions' 2014-15 Pay Claim

This pamphlet, commissioned by Unison, seeks to estimate the overall impact on public finances of the Trade Union Side’s 2014-15 pay claim for all employees in local government covered by the National Joint Council (NJC). The claim is for an extra £1…

Published: 18th Dec 2013
Authors: Peter Kenway, Adam Tinson
Category: Local Government

The Impact of Welfare Reform on Low Paid Local Government Workers

Since 2010 pay in local government has increased by less than inflation. Uniquely in the public sector, local government workers suffered a three-year pay freeze - in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The pay award in 2013 was 1%, plus the removal of the bottom p…

Published: 31st Oct 2013
Authors: Adam Tinson, Peter Kenway, Hannah Aldridge
Category: Local Government

The Impact of Localising Council Tax Benefit

In April 2013, Council Tax Benefit (CTB) was abolished and replaced by Council Tax Support (CTS). In England, 326 local authorities had to devise their own local CTS schemes but with 10% less funding. This summary looks at the impact of that change o…

Published: 28th Mar 2013
Authors: , Peter Kenway, Hannah Aldridge
Category: Council Tax

Localising Council Tax Support: A Briefing Note on Local Authorities' Plans

This paper summarises our assessment of the proposed Council Tax Support schemes to replace Council Tax Benefit that local councils were consulting on in September 2012. As the most widely-claimed means-tested benefit, the replacement of council tax…

Published: 12th Sep 2012
Authors: Sam Popper, Peter Kenway
Category: Council Tax

Living on the Edge: Pay in Local Government

The local government workforce in England and Wales is a big part of the public sector – and a very big part of the local public sector – yet there is little understanding among the general public of who is in it. The two main archetypes, teacher and…

Published: 22nd Feb 2012
Authors: Peter Kenway, Anushree Parekh, Hannah Aldridge
Category: Local Government

A Poisoned Chalice for Local Government

This paper analyses the implications for English local authorities of the Government’s consultation document on the replacement of council tax benefit (CTB). Local authorities now have 18 months to design, construct and introduce their own replacemen…

Published: 24th Oct 2011
Author: Peter Kenway
Category: Local Government

Council Tax Benefit: the effect of a 10% cut

The Government’s plans to reduce spending on Council Tax Benefit by 10 per cent will have a disproportionate impact on local authorities which are in areas of high level of deprivation – with the most affected losing more than four times as much per …

Published: 1st Dec 2010
Author: Dan Paskins
Category: Council Tax

Food Access: Whose Responsibility?

In Spring 2000, the New Policy Institute held a seminar to review four recent research projects addressing food access for low income communities, and to discuss where responsibility lies for resolving this complex issue and what solutions might be g…

Published: 1st May 2000
Authors: Cathy Street, Catherine Howarth
Category: Income and Poverty

Reforming Social Fund Budgeting Loans

This report considers the Budgeting loans section of the Social Fund and the case for reform.

Published: 2nd Mar 2000
Authors: Nick Donovan, Guy Palmer
Category: Social Security and Welfare Reform

A Real Commitment to Partnership? Building a New Relationship between the Council and Voluntary Sector in Islington

This paper discusses the future relationship between the voluntary organisations in Islington and Islington Council. In particular, it makes proposals for a new partnership between the organisations, something that all sides have stated that they are…

Published: 1st Sep 1999
Authors: Guy Palmer, Peter Kenway
Category: Services

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