| Swansea 2025 budget 15:31 - Jan 9 with 990 views | Boundy |
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/government-funding-a-lot-better-than-expec
Swansea Council is to get more central Government funding than anticipated next year but still plans to make savings and increase council tax to balance the books.
Most council funding comes from the Welsh Government, which receives it from Westminster, and Swansea is in line to get £33.4 million more in 2025-26 compared to this year, including extra money from business rates. That's good news for key departments like education and social care. The council is also expecting an additional £7 million to cover the increase that it has to pay in employer national insurance contributions from April.
However, budget papers show the authority is facing cost pressures of just under £69 million - driven by things like pay awards, rising homelessness costs and other demographic pressures - meaning steps have to be taken to cover the shortfall. It is therefore proposing to raise an extra £9.8 million in council tax, leaving it £18.4 million short. This £18.4 million will be resolved by making savings and increasing various fees and charges. For the latest Swansea news, sign up to our newsletter here
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The papers don't say what the proposed £9.8 million council tax hike equates to in percentage terms and the figure could well change between now and when councillors set the budget in two months' time. It went up by 5.99% last year - meaning Band D householders paid £1,641.95, excluding police and any community council precepts - and by 5.95% the year before that. The papers note that the Welsh Government assumed a 10% council tax rise in its spending calculations for the forthcoming year, but council leader Rob Stewart said it would not go up by that amount.
The Swansea Labour leader described the central government funding position, which became clear in the October budget, as "a lot better" than the council had been planning for. Every department, he said, would get additional funding with schools and the education service in line for an extra £22.3 million.
"Our proposed budget for the coming year would see the biggest-ever spend on education and schools of more than £226 million - a significant investment in our children's futures that will have a lasting impact for families right across the city," he said.
Opposition group leader, Cllr Chris Holley, questioned the need for so many savings given the additional government funding, and said he would like any council tax rise to be minimal. "Times are difficult - people are really struggling," he said. The Liberal Democrat councillor also wanted to see extra investment in road repairs.
The budget papers identify where the £18.4 million savings need to come from, and several of the proposals are to raise fees rather than make cuts. Schools, it said, would need to make £4.5 million of savings, while the figure for the social services department is £8.7 million. Proposals include reducing expenditure on care commissioned from the private sector, and cutting back office staff costs through "natural vacancies".
The place department, which includes roads and the environment, would need to save £2.6 million by, for example, changes to waste collection, increasing burial and cremation fees and Swansea Market rent charges, and generating more camera car parking ticket income. The in-house education department is being set a £1.7 million savings target while corporate services needs to cut its cloth by £400,000.
The papers said 15.5 full-time equivalent posts were at risk, although all efforts would be made to avoid compulsory redundancies. Any job losses at schools would be decided by schools themselves.
The budget proposals will be discussed be cabinet on January 10 and then go out for consultation. Discussions will also take place with trade unions. There will be a further budget report prior to a meeting of full council in early March when the 2025-26 budget will be set.
Cllr Stewart said the council was determined to protect services that people valued most. "In the last year we've seen record investment in schools and social care, the biggest ever support package to help residents deal with winter pressures, and huge investment in homes and housing," he said |  |
| "In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master." |
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 16:31 - Jan 9 with 927 views | Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
There will come a breaking point in the not too distant future where people will not be able to or not even willing to pay anymore tax. Especially if they are not getting the services that paying taxes are supposed to provide.
We are on the brink. [Post edited 9 Jan 16:31]
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 17:33 - Jan 9 with 835 views | SullutaCreturned |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 16:31 - Jan 9 by Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
There will come a breaking point in the not too distant future where people will not be able to or not even willing to pay anymore tax. Especially if they are not getting the services that paying taxes are supposed to provide.
We are on the brink. [Post edited 9 Jan 16:31]
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And where does the money go.... here's a fun story. I was talking to a local taxi driver recently, he had a contract to take an SEN kid to school, from Neath to Camarthen, 5 days a week, roughly 3-4 hours work a day.
The contract pays £275 per day, £1,375 per week for 38 weeks. That's £52,250 per year.
I wonder how mnay taxi companies have such contracts and how much they cost us in total? | | | |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 17:44 - Jan 9 with 828 views | JACKMANANDBOY |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 17:33 - Jan 9 by SullutaCreturned |
And where does the money go.... here's a fun story. I was talking to a local taxi driver recently, he had a contract to take an SEN kid to school, from Neath to Camarthen, 5 days a week, roughly 3-4 hours work a day.
The contract pays £275 per day, £1,375 per week for 38 weeks. That's £52,250 per year.
I wonder how mnay taxi companies have such contracts and how much they cost us in total? |
So the FTE for driving from Swansea to Carmarthen in a taxi is £104,500 if you work for the council. |  |
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 18:27 - Jan 9 with 779 views | majorraglan |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 17:44 - Jan 9 by JACKMANANDBOY |
So the FTE for driving from Swansea to Carmarthen in a taxi is £104,500 if you work for the council. |
This type of contract is actually put out to tender, that figure would in all likely hood have been be the cheapest price. The contract could potentially have included the requirement for a chaperone, but it’s still a huge amount of cash.
This type of thing goes on lot when kids are in temporary care or have “special needs”. - and the number is increasing. If you think these are bad, you need to check out home much children’s homes charge. Have a butchers at the below. The level of care required will vary depending on the circumstances of the case, the risk etc etc. a lot of the children in care have very complex backgrounds, poor parentage, offending, exploitation, child sexual exploitation etc etc and in many cases they would fit the profile of the victims in the gang grooming cases.
https://www.lgcplus.com/services/children/revealed-spiralling-cost-of-childrens- | | | |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 19:33 - Jan 9 with 729 views | AnotherJohn |
The examples of high-spending mentioned in the thread on school transport and special needs residential care are pretty sobering. When national taxes and council taxes are combined the present level of taxation is very high, but the size of the population needing public assistance seems to be growing worryingly fast. The public expenditure situation at national level makes me wonder how long we can afford all the services we provide. Much of our spending comes from borrowed money. The last time the UK government had a budget surplus (i.e. took more in taxes and revenues then it spent) was 2000-01. With the present situation with bonds and a falling pound, it seems that the "headroom" that Rachel Reeves thought she had for investment has all but gone. There are questions about whether she will cancel her China trip in case the markets panic. | | | |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 19:42 - Jan 9 with 719 views | Boundy |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 17:33 - Jan 9 by SullutaCreturned |
And where does the money go.... here's a fun story. I was talking to a local taxi driver recently, he had a contract to take an SEN kid to school, from Neath to Camarthen, 5 days a week, roughly 3-4 hours work a day.
The contract pays £275 per day, £1,375 per week for 38 weeks. That's £52,250 per year.
I wonder how mnay taxi companies have such contracts and how much they cost us in total? |
I know of one , he takes a child to school and back home 5 times a week , along with a chaperon who also gets paid. | |
| "In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master." |
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 19:54 - Jan 9 with 700 views | SullutaCreturned |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 19:42 - Jan 9 by Boundy |
I know of one , he takes a child to school and back home 5 times a week , along with a chaperon who also gets paid. |
It's ridiculous money. For no more than a 20 hour week, split brtween 2, you pick up 26k. Chuck in another 10 hours per week across the whole year and less than 30 hours per week on average could net you close on 40k.
Nice work if you can get it. | | | |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 20:35 - Jan 9 with 650 views | Boundy |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 19:54 - Jan 9 by SullutaCreturned |
It's ridiculous money. For no more than a 20 hour week, split brtween 2, you pick up 26k. Chuck in another 10 hours per week across the whole year and less than 30 hours per week on average could net you close on 40k.
Nice work if you can get it. |
I can say he's doing very well out of it , by the way this one particular taxi driver employs a relative to sit with the child which I thought strange as no as far as I'm aware no DBS were carried out and for his trouble he was slipped a tenner a day. | |
| "In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master." |
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 20:47 - Jan 9 with 642 views | Luther27 |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 17:33 - Jan 9 by SullutaCreturned |
And where does the money go.... here's a fun story. I was talking to a local taxi driver recently, he had a contract to take an SEN kid to school, from Neath to Camarthen, 5 days a week, roughly 3-4 hours work a day.
The contract pays £275 per day, £1,375 per week for 38 weeks. That's £52,250 per year.
I wonder how mnay taxi companies have such contracts and how much they cost us in total? |
Dear God. It would be cheaper for the council to house the family there. | | | |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 11:39 - Jan 10 with 467 views | JACKMANANDBOY |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 20:47 - Jan 9 by Luther27 |
Dear God. It would be cheaper for the council to house the family there. |
Or look at options for improving SEN provision in Swansea? | |
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 12:53 - Jan 10 with 451 views | Scotia |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 17:33 - Jan 9 by SullutaCreturned |
And where does the money go.... here's a fun story. I was talking to a local taxi driver recently, he had a contract to take an SEN kid to school, from Neath to Camarthen, 5 days a week, roughly 3-4 hours work a day.
The contract pays £275 per day, £1,375 per week for 38 weeks. That's £52,250 per year.
I wonder how mnay taxi companies have such contracts and how much they cost us in total? |
We do respite care for a lad with a learning disability. He gets a funded taxi to and from his day centre.
His parents have a car paid for by the mobility scheme.
And he's got a free bus pass. | | | |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 19:14 - Jan 10 with 364 views | SullutaCreturned |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 12:53 - Jan 10 by Scotia |
We do respite care for a lad with a learning disability. He gets a funded taxi to and from his day centre.
His parents have a car paid for by the mobility scheme.
And he's got a free bus pass. |
There you go then, the whole system needs changing because we can't keep on throwing money away on taxis.
The free bus pass, if he's ok to use the bus by himself then why the taxi? Is the day centre not viable by bus?
Mobility cars, another scheme that may need looking at, I'm sure people are conning that sustem too. | | | |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 23:41 - Jan 10 with 314 views | Boundy |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 19:14 - Jan 10 by SullutaCreturned |
There you go then, the whole system needs changing because we can't keep on throwing money away on taxis.
The free bus pass, if he's ok to use the bus by himself then why the taxi? Is the day centre not viable by bus?
Mobility cars, another scheme that may need looking at, I'm sure people are conning that sustem too. |
I believe to qualify for a mobility car you have to claim PIP , this process means answering a myriad of questions either by a face to face interviewer or via paper question paper.
The claimant if successful can either receive a monthly payment or a car , I know the process is very personal and difficult to get approval so good luck to those who do.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/he | |
| "In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master." |
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 07:06 - Jan 11 with 264 views | Gwyn737 |
When we hear about councils going bust, selling off assets or taking on loans, it’s almost always down to the rapidly increasing costs of SEN provision which will include transport. The figures Cat mentions above unfortunately are very common.
Like social care, where private ventures have come in to satisfy demand, the same has happened with special schools.
In my area, a place at a council owned special school comes in at around £40k. A place at one of the private provisions starts at double that. That doesn’t include transport.
The number of families wanting/needing this is spiralling and the financial side is out of control.
To try and counteract it, councils have put in place more and more barriers to slow down and stop requests. The unintended consequence is that educated parents with money can navigate through the system and those who find it harder can’t.
This means this the children who get specialist places aren’t always the ones who need it most.
We’ve got a financially crippling service that overall doesn’t work. [Post edited 11 Jan 7:09]
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 08:20 - Jan 11 with 215 views | jackrmee |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 19:14 - Jan 10 by SullutaCreturned |
There you go then, the whole system needs changing because we can't keep on throwing money away on taxis.
The free bus pass, if he's ok to use the bus by himself then why the taxi? Is the day centre not viable by bus?
Mobility cars, another scheme that may need looking at, I'm sure people are conning that sustem too. |
Wow, you’re all on about cutting funding for these special needs kids ffs.
Am I hearing you right? |  |
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 08:23 - Jan 11 with 211 views | Joesus_Of_Narbereth |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 19:14 - Jan 10 by SullutaCreturned |
There you go then, the whole system needs changing because we can't keep on throwing money away on taxis.
The free bus pass, if he's ok to use the bus by himself then why the taxi? Is the day centre not viable by bus?
Mobility cars, another scheme that may need looking at, I'm sure people are conning that sustem too. |
We can keep throwing money away because our governments will just tax everyone more. They have never ending supply of our cash so they can spunk it away as much as they like. And there’s not a thing we can do about it. | |
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 08:24 - Jan 11 with 211 views | jackrmee |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 07:06 - Jan 11 by Gwyn737 |
When we hear about councils going bust, selling off assets or taking on loans, it’s almost always down to the rapidly increasing costs of SEN provision which will include transport. The figures Cat mentions above unfortunately are very common.
Like social care, where private ventures have come in to satisfy demand, the same has happened with special schools.
In my area, a place at a council owned special school comes in at around £40k. A place at one of the private provisions starts at double that. That doesn’t include transport.
The number of families wanting/needing this is spiralling and the financial side is out of control.
To try and counteract it, councils have put in place more and more barriers to slow down and stop requests. The unintended consequence is that educated parents with money can navigate through the system and those who find it harder can’t.
This means this the children who get specialist places aren’t always the ones who need it most.
We’ve got a financially crippling service that overall doesn’t work. [Post edited 11 Jan 7:09]
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So pretty much every council that goes bust is because of these poor special needs kids?
Definitely not the million quid they spend on walls on a roundabout, or the crazy wages and bonuses they pay each other?
Nope, there’s way too many special needs kids these days, scamming the system. Surely there must be a way to kill them off. | |
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 08:46 - Jan 11 with 201 views | Scotia |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 19:14 - Jan 10 by SullutaCreturned |
There you go then, the whole system needs changing because we can't keep on throwing money away on taxis.
The free bus pass, if he's ok to use the bus by himself then why the taxi? Is the day centre not viable by bus?
Mobility cars, another scheme that may need looking at, I'm sure people are conning that sustem too. |
He can use a bus. His Dad gets a bus to the building next door to his day centre while his Mum takes the mobility car to work. | | | |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 09:18 - Jan 11 with 193 views | Gwyn737 |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 08:24 - Jan 11 by jackrmee |
So pretty much every council that goes bust is because of these poor special needs kids?
Definitely not the million quid they spend on walls on a roundabout, or the crazy wages and bonuses they pay each other?
Nope, there’s way too many special needs kids these days, scamming the system. Surely there must be a way to kill them off. |
If you’d caught any of my previous posts on disadvantaged kids you’d my take on them.
I’m not blaming children.
It is factual that the demand and raised exponentially against the funding. | | | |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 09:42 - Jan 11 with 157 views | Whiterockin |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 23:41 - Jan 10 by Boundy |
I believe to qualify for a mobility car you have to claim PIP , this process means answering a myriad of questions either by a face to face interviewer or via paper question paper.
The claimant if successful can either receive a monthly payment or a car , I know the process is very personal and difficult to get approval so good luck to those who do.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/he |
Over 700,000 motorbilty cars in the UK, a staggering amount. |  | | |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 11:22 - Jan 11 with 85 views | SullutaCreturned |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 08:24 - Jan 11 by jackrmee |
So pretty much every council that goes bust is because of these poor special needs kids?
Definitely not the million quid they spend on walls on a roundabout, or the crazy wages and bonuses they pay each other?
Nope, there’s way too many special needs kids these days, scamming the system. Surely there must be a way to kill them off. |
Well no, but it's a part of the overall problem. You see when it comes to waste, to poor planning and spending, you look at the whole picture.
Having 22 LGA's in Wales is definitely part of the problem too, all with CEO's and several other high earners, probably on more than the PM and our FM. | | | |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 13:51 - Jan 11 with 26 views | Dr_Winston |
Surely the point of the mobility car is to enable the child to get where he needs to without the taxi? Mum can get the bus to work. |  |
| Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair, or f*cking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back. |
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| Swansea 2025 budget on 14:33 - Jan 11 with 12 views | Boundy |
| Swansea 2025 budget on 09:42 - Jan 11 by Whiterockin |
Over 700,000 motorbilty cars in the UK, a staggering amount. |
And against that number there are many who claim the money and the free car tax is | |
| "In a free society, the State is the servant of the people—not the master." |
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