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We’re inviting residents and business rate payers (or their representatives) in Islington to comment on the council’sproposed revenue and capital budget for 2024/25.
The draft proposals are set out in the papersfor the council’s Executive meeting on 11 January 2024 and the final proposals will be considered at the Full Council meeting on 29 February 2024.
The budget prioritises frontline services and aims to deliver a more equal Islington by supporting the council’s five missions – building a safe place to call homes; creating a greener and healthier Islington; a fairer local economy; creating a child-friendly Islington; and making sure people can access support where and when they need it.
But the impact of years of central Government cuts to council budgets, inflation, soaring costs, and high demand for services mean the council has had to make savings of £10.8million to set a balanced 2024/25 budget.
The council pledges to keep prioritising vital services for local people – but has also warned that government underfunding cannot continue without impact on frontline services.
Since 2010, the council’s core spending power to pay for local services has been cut almost in half, by an estimated 45 percent, because of central Government cuts, and the council has made budget savings of over £300 million. More cuts from central Government are expected.
In the last year, there has also been a continued rise in demand for adult and children’s social services, as well as wider support to residents, which has not been matched with increased government grant. Also there has been a significant increase in demand for support with special educational needs and disability (SEND), not matched by a similar increase in Government funding.
This means the council has had to make significant budget savings to create a balanced budget for 2024/25. To help pay for services, it proposes to increase council tax by 2.99 percent – though thousands of people will get help with their bills from Islington’s Council Tax Support Scheme, which from April is being changed so the lowest-earning households pay no council tax at all.
To help pay for the rising costs of adult social care, the council proposes to also apply the Government’s two percent adult social care precept. This will raise approximately £2.2million to help pay for adult social care. Despite an increase in social care grants to Islington, this is still much less than the annual increase in the cost of adult social care in Islington.
The budget setting process has arrived at the following proposed option: To increase council tax in line with the maximum core and adult social care preceptamounts permittedby Central Government. This will deliver a balanced budget in 2024/25 and allow the council to continue to deliver vital council services in the context of increasing costs and demand and insufficient increases in central government funding. For the average (Band D) property, the proposed 4.99% increase in the basic 2024/25 Islingtoncouncil tax (excluding the GLA precept) equates to anincrease of around £1.32 per week for full council taxpayers. The impact of this will be mitigated by the Council Tax Support Scheme being changed so the lowest-earning households pay no council tax at all.
Regarding Business Rates payments, these are controlled by Central Government and Islington has no control over the increase in the business rates multiplier which was set out in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. The small business rates multiplier (‘rate in the £’) will be frozen at 49.9p for a fourth consecutive year. In simple terms, freezing the multiplier means that business rates will not be subject to inflation. The standard business rates multiplier will be uprated in line with September CPI inflation to 54.6p (from 51.2p).
We’re inviting residents and business rate payers (or their representatives) in Islington to comment on the council’sproposed revenue and capital budget for 2024/25.
The draft proposals are set out in the papersfor the council’s Executive meeting on 11 January 2024 and the final proposals will be considered at the Full Council meeting on 29 February 2024.
The budget prioritises frontline services and aims to deliver a more equal Islington by supporting the council’s five missions – building a safe place to call homes; creating a greener and healthier Islington; a fairer local economy; creating a child-friendly Islington; and making sure people can access support where and when they need it.
But the impact of years of central Government cuts to council budgets, inflation, soaring costs, and high demand for services mean the council has had to make savings of £10.8million to set a balanced 2024/25 budget.
The council pledges to keep prioritising vital services for local people – but has also warned that government underfunding cannot continue without impact on frontline services.
Since 2010, the council’s core spending power to pay for local services has been cut almost in half, by an estimated 45 percent, because of central Government cuts, and the council has made budget savings of over £300 million. More cuts from central Government are expected.
In the last year, there has also been a continued rise in demand for adult and children’s social services, as well as wider support to residents, which has not been matched with increased government grant. Also there has been a significant increase in demand for support with special educational needs and disability (SEND), not matched by a similar increase in Government funding.
This means the council has had to make significant budget savings to create a balanced budget for 2024/25. To help pay for services, it proposes to increase council tax by 2.99 percent – though thousands of people will get help with their bills from Islington’s Council Tax Support Scheme, which from April is being changed so the lowest-earning households pay no council tax at all.
To help pay for the rising costs of adult social care, the council proposes to also apply the Government’s two percent adult social care precept. This will raise approximately £2.2million to help pay for adult social care. Despite an increase in social care grants to Islington, this is still much less than the annual increase in the cost of adult social care in Islington.
The budget setting process has arrived at the following proposed option: To increase council tax in line with the maximum core and adult social care preceptamounts permittedby Central Government. This will deliver a balanced budget in 2024/25 and allow the council to continue to deliver vital council services in the context of increasing costs and demand and insufficient increases in central government funding. For the average (Band D) property, the proposed 4.99% increase in the basic 2024/25 Islingtoncouncil tax (excluding the GLA precept) equates to anincrease of around £1.32 per week for full council taxpayers. The impact of this will be mitigated by the Council Tax Support Scheme being changed so the lowest-earning households pay no council tax at all.
Regarding Business Rates payments, these are controlled by Central Government and Islington has no control over the increase in the business rates multiplier which was set out in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement. The small business rates multiplier (‘rate in the £’) will be frozen at 49.9p for a fourth consecutive year. In simple terms, freezing the multiplier means that business rates will not be subject to inflation. The standard business rates multiplier will be uprated in line with September CPI inflation to 54.6p (from 51.2p).
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Budget Consultation 2024/25 has finished this stage
This consultation is open for contributions from 4 January until 24 January.
Review
Budget Consultation 2024/25 is currently at this stage
Contributions are being reviewed ahead of the final budget report. The final outcomes will be reported by 29 February.
Final report
this is an upcoming stage for Budget Consultation 2024/25
The final outcomes of the consultation are documented here. This may include a summary of all contributions collected as well as recommendations for future action.
