Petition calls for increased in care funding

Local Liberal Democrats have launched a petition calling for the government to end what they’re calling “council tax unfairness” with an increase in funding for children’s and adult care.

Following government cuts to social care funding of 58% last November, an increasing number of councils around the country, including Conservative Woking and Labour Nottingham, have effectively gone bankrupt and been taken over by commissioners to make drastic cuts.

Somerset declared a financial emergency last year, saying it was one of many councils facing significant pressures on its finances driven by inflation, spiralling costs – notably in care for adults and children – and a “broken” system for funding local government.

Both Somerset and its local town councils are now looking to use higher council taxes to bridge the resulting £100million budget gap and maintain vital services like CCTV, town centre wardens and public toilets.

The petition has been launched in Taunton by Gideon Amos, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Taunton and Wellington.

He said “These massive government cuts to care - almost 60% according to the National Audit Office - are landing people in Taunton and Wellington with higher council tax bills as a direct result.

“The government promised twice, in 2019 and again in 2021, to provide national funding for social care - but they’ve messed up and they’ve failed to come with what they promised and are now dumping the costs on council tax payers.

“It’s time the Conservative government properly funded essential care and stopped forcing local council taxpayers to foot the bill for social care - something which needs national funding.

“It’s just one more stealth tax from the Conservatives following on from last year’s freezing of income tax bands, dragging millions into higher tax rates while saying they were cutting taxes!

“Some may have fallen for these Conservative tax dodges – no one is going to be fooled by the Conservatives on tax a second time.”

You can sign the petition via this link: https://www.tdld.co.uk/local-gov-petition