| Swansea 2025 budget 15:31 - Jan 9 with 453 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 390 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 298 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 291 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 242 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 192 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 182 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 163 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 113 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 105 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. | | | |
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